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The Draft Regional Spatial Strategyfor the South West 2006 - 2026
STRATEGIC SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
MAIN REPORT
RSS update
STR
ATEG
ICSU
STA
INAB
ILITYASSESSM
EN
TO
FTH
ED
RAFT
REG
ION
AL
SPATIA
LSTR
ATEG
YFO
RTH
ESO
UTH
WEST
South West Regional AssemblyDennett House11 Middle StreetTauntonSomerset TA1 1SH
Tel: 01823 270101Fax: 01823 425200email: [email protected]: www.southwest-ra.gov.uk
Designed by Peter Poland Design Ltd, Bristol. www.poland.co.ukPrinted on 100% Post Consumer Waste.
Levett-Therivelsustainability consultants
STRATEGIC SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT OF THE DRAFT SOUTH WEST REGIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGY
March 2006
Prepared for South West Regional Assembly
by Land Use Consultantswith Collingwood Environmental Planning
and Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants
43 Chalton StreetLondon NW1 1JDTel: 020 7383 5784Fax: 020 7383 [email protected] www.landuse.co.uk
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006
CONTENTS Non-Technical Summary .................................................................................................... i
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................1
2. SSA Method ...................................................................................................................9
3. Review of Other Plans and Programmes and Baseline Information.............. 23
4. The Character and Sustainability Issues of the South West ........................... 25
5. SSA Framework ......................................................................................................... 61
6. How the SSA Influenced the Draft RSS................................................................ 73
7. Section 1 of the Draft RSS: A Sustainable Future for the South West......... 83
8. Section 2 of the Draft RSS: The Context for the Spatial Strategy................. 89
9. Section 3 of the Draft RSS: The Spatial Strategy and Guidance for the Scale and Location of Development ................................................................................ 99
10. Section 4 of the Draft RSS: Sub Regional Strategy Statements and Housing Distribution...............................................................................................................111
11. Section 5 of the Draft RSS: Regional Approach to Transport.....................151
12. Section 6 of the Draft RSS: Harnessing Population Growth, Managing Change and Ensuring People can Participate in Society .................................163
13. Section 7 of the Draft RSS: Enhancing Distinctive Environments and Cultural Life ..............................................................................................................175
14. Section 8 of the Draft RSS: Enhancing Economic Prosperity and Quality of Employment Opportunity......................................................................................189
15. Section 9 of the Draft RSS: Addressing Deprivation and Disadvantage to Reduce Intra-Regional Inequalities.......................................................................203
16. Section 10 of the Draft RSS: Ensuring People are Treated Fairly and can Participate in Society...............................................................................................207
17. Overall Effects of the Draft RSS...........................................................................211
18. Implementation and Monitoring Proposals........................................................229
19. Conclusions and Key Recommendations...........................................................233
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006
APPENDICES
Three sets of appendices accompany the SSA Report. These have been prepared as separate documents: APPENDIX A - Supplementary Information to the SSA • Appendix A1 - SSASG Members • Appendix A2 - Review of relevant plans and programmes • Appendix A3 - Baseline data table from Scoping Report • Appendix A4 - Summary of consultation responses on Scoping Report • Appendix A5 - Review of SSA Framework against UK SD Strategy • Appendix A6 - Schedule of changes to draft RSS Versions 2.3 to 3.2 • Appendix A7 - SA Quality Assurance checklist APPENDIX B - Detailed Appraisal Matrices for Draft RSS Policies • Appendix B1 - Section 1 of the draft RSS • Appendix B2 - Section 2 of the draft RSS • Appendix B3 - Section 3 of the draft RSS • Appendix B4 - Section 4 of the draft RSS • Appendix B5 - Section 5 of the draft RSS • Appendix B6 - Section 6 of the draft RSS • Appendix B7 - Section 7 of the draft RSS • Appendix B8 - Section 8 of the draft RSS • Appendix B9 - Section 9 of the draft RSS • Appendix B10 - Section 10 of the draft RSS APPENDIX C - SSA of Sub Regional Strategy Statements • Appendix C1 - SSA Guidance for sub regional studies April 04 • Appendix C2 - SSA Guidance on baseline data collection for sub regional
studies Oct 04 • Appendix C3 - SSA of Sub Regional Strategy Statements
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NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY
What is the purpose of Strategic Sustainability Assessment? 1. When preparing the South West Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), the South West
Regional Assembly (SWRA) is required by law to carry out a Sustainability Appraisal and a Strategic Environmental Assessment. The Government recommends that these two requirements are met through one integrated process, which in the South West has been termed the ‘Strategic Sustainability Assessment’ (or SSA), with the aim of achieving the goal of sustainable development.
“The goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations. That goal will be pursued in an integrated way through a sustainable, innovative and productive economy that delivers high levels of employment, and a just society that promotes social inclusion, sustainable communities and personal wellbeing. This will be done in ways that protect and enhance the physical and natural environment, and use resources and energy as efficiently as possible.” Securing the Future. The UK Sustainable Development Strategy. Cm 6467.
2. The purpose of the SSA was to assist the SWRA prepare the draft RSS by identifying the key sustainability issues facing the region, to determine what would be the likely effects of the draft RSS on these issues, and put forward recommendations to improve it. The aim was to ensure that the draft RSS has as many positive effects as possible, and that any negative effects are avoided when the policies in the draft RSS are turned into development on the ground.
How was the SSA carried out? 3. The SSA was undertaken independently by Land Use Consultants in association
with Collingwood Environmental Planning and Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants. Appointed in February 2004, the SSA consultants provided advice to the SWRA throughout the preparation of the draft RSS.
4. The work undertaken by the consultants was overseen by an SSA Steering Group, representing various stakeholders, including officers from the SWRA, South West Regional Development Agency, the Government Office, statutory agencies, and representatives of other regional bodies and local authorities.
5. The SSA comprised three main phases of work:
Phase 1: Deciding the scope of the SSA
6. The consultants decided what the SSA should cover by reviewing a wide range of policy documents (including Government policies) and other plans and programmes (such as the Regional Economic Strategy, Regional Housing Strategy, and Regional Environment Strategy), and by examining data and information to help identify what the key sustainability issues are in the region. Particular reference was made to the Regional Sustainable Development Framework (adopted by the
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 ii
SWRA in 2001 to provide an over-arching document on sustainable development in the region to guide and influence decisions-makers in business, government and the voluntary and community sectors).
7. This resulted in a Scoping Report, which was issued for consultation in September 2004. Comments on the Scoping Report were taken on board during the SSA process. Guidance was also provided to the strategic planning authorities in nine Joint Study Areas to help them do their own SSAs of the work they carried out to inform the sub-regional strategy statements in Section 4 of the draft RSS.
Phase 2: SSA of possible development strategies
8. In the Autumn of 2004, the SSA was used to identify the sustainability advantages and disadvantages of five different options for the spatial distribution of development, and of two different options for the level of growth to be accommodated by the region. The findings were used to inform the public consultation exercise on these possible development strategies.
Phase 3: SSA of the draft RSS
9. Having taken on board consultation responses and the findings of the SSA of the possible development strategies, the SWRA began to prepare the draft RSS for submission to the Secretary of State. The SSA consultants commented on early versions of the draft RSS and gave presentations to officers and members on their findings and recommendations, many of which have been taken on board as the draft RSS neared completion. The final SSA Report reflects the final submitted version of the draft RSS (March 2006).
What are the key sustainability issues facing the South West? 10. The South West offers a high quality of life for most people in the region. Its
natural and built environment is generally very attractive, and its economy is strong particularly in the north and east of the region. The region has also been experiencing some very positive trends. For example, economic performance in Cornwall has improved markedly in recent years. The condition of nationally important wildlife sites has been getting better. The quality of rivers and coastal waters is now generally excellent. But some unsustainable trends, often not always very noticeable, continue to exist:
• People’s incomes, educational qualifications and skills, and the wealth that the economy generates, all tend to reduce significantly as distances from London and the South East increase.
• Levels of deprivation and social exclusion that affect certain communities in both rural and urban areas are proving very persistent, even in the more prosperous north and eastern parts of the region.
• There are many people who cannot afford to buy a home on the open market, and there is a backlog of residents whose housing needs are not being met.
• Traffic continues to increase as car ownership rises, and because people are using their cars to travel more frequently and often over longer distances.
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• Despite being rich in wildlife, the region continues to experience loss and fragmentation of habitats and species.
• Some of the historic assets of the region are at risk, either from development or from a general lack of care and attention.
• Parts of the region, particularly in the north and east, are becoming more urbanised in character, as a result of increased development, infrastructure, with an increase in noise and light pollution leading to a loss of tranquillity and dark skies.
• The amount of materials consumed in the region continues to increase, as does the amount of waste, despite improvements in recycling.
• The region’s greenhouse gas emissions are too high, and climate change is likely to lead to a range of challenges, such as increased risk of flooding from rivers and along the coast, especially where sea level is rising, and there may be issues in some parts of the region over the amount of water available to meet the needs of homes, business and farming.
11. Many of these sustainability issues are common to all parts of the UK. But because the South West is seen by many to offer a high quality of life relative to many other parts of the country, it has experienced the highest rate of population growth of all regions. This trend of high growth is forecast to continue, which makes it all the more important that the RSS tries to grapple with the sustainability issues for the benefit of the region as a whole. One of the key challenges for the RSS is to decide how much and what sort of development is needed and where this should be located, in order for people to feel that their quality of life is being improved in the years to come.
SSA objectives 12. The review of other policies, plans, strategies and programmes, and the
identification of sustainability issues during Phase 1 of the SSA, provided the basis for a set of sustainability objectives to be developed by the SSA consultants. The sustainability objectives provided the main tool for assessing the draft RSS, and comprised six headline objectives in the form of questions:
SSA Headline Objectives 1) Will the RSS improve health? 2) Will the RSS support communities that meet people’s needs? 3) Will the RSS develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs? 4) Will the RSS provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the
environment? 5) Will the RSS maintain and improve environmental quality and assets? 6) Will the RSS minimise consumption of natural resources?
13. Each headline objective was supported by a set of more detailed questions that were used to decide whether the draft RSS would be likely to achieve the headline objective. The SSA headline objectives and supporting criteria proved to be a very
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 iv
useful tool for determining the sustainability strengths and weaknesses of the draft RSS, and for making recommendations for improvement.
How did the SSA influence what the draft RSS says? 14. The SSA has had a significant influence on the preparation of the draft RSS. This
was mainly because the SWRA used the SSA right from the very beginning of the process, and because the SSA team had direct access to both those preparing the draft RSS and also to the members and other stakeholders appointed to agree the version of the draft RSS to be submitted to the Secretary of State. This meant that the SSA had a high profile and that the findings and recommendations received good and thorough consideration.
15. There are a number of areas where the draft RSS was improved in sustainability terms as a result of the SSA process. The most significant influence was with respect to carbon dioxide emissions (one of the principal greenhouse gases causing climate change). The need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions generated by the region was rightly recognised as perhaps the most pressing sustainability issue facing not only the South West, but the world as a whole. All of the other positive sustainability advantages of the draft RSS could pale into insignificance if this major issue is not addressed. As a result of the SSA process, the draft RSS now includes some very ambitious and challenging policies that, if implemented, mean that the South West will be taking a huge step towards grappling with climate change.
16. Although most of the recommendations of the SSA are reflected in the final version of the draft RSS, not all of them were taken on board. The key outstanding recommendations are listed at the end of this Non-Technical Summary.
What are the sustainability effects of the draft RSS likely to be? 17. There is much to welcome in the draft RSS in sustainability terms, and the version
of the RSS to be submitted to the Secretary of State is much improved on earlier versions. A summary of the sustainability strengths and weaknesses of the draft RSS are provided in Table 1.
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Tab
le 1
: Sum
mar
y of
sus
tain
abili
ty s
tren
gths
and
wea
knes
ses
of t
he d
raft
RSS
Su
stai
nabi
lity
stre
ngth
s of
the
dra
ft R
SS
Sust
aina
bilit
y w
eakn
esse
s of
the
dra
ft R
SS
• St
rong
ove
rarc
hing
sus
tain
able
dev
elop
men
t pr
inci
ples
in P
olic
ies
SD1
to
SD4,
and
in p
artic
ular
the
em
phas
is o
n re
duci
ng t
he r
egio
n’s
ecol
ogic
al
foot
prin
t in
clud
ing
its c
ontr
ibut
ion
to c
limat
e ch
ange
, and
the
ac
know
ledg
emen
t of
env
iron
men
tal l
imits
. •
The
em
phas
is o
n ac
hiev
ing
sust
aina
ble
com
mun
ities
, bas
ed o
n se
ttle
men
t ro
le a
nd fu
nctio
n, a
nd im
prov
ing
the
qual
ity o
f, an
d ac
cess
to,
jobs
, ho
mes
, fac
ilitie
s, s
ervi
ces,
and
gre
en s
pace
. •
The
focu
s on
dir
ectin
g th
e m
ajor
ity o
f dev
elop
men
t to
exi
stin
g ur
ban
area
s w
here
mor
e jo
bs a
re li
kely
to
be c
reat
ed, a
nd w
here
som
e of
the
bi
gges
t su
stai
nabi
lity
‘win
s’ a
re li
kely
to
be m
ade.
•
The
em
phas
is o
n ‘q
ualit
y of
dev
elop
men
t’, w
hich
is c
ruci
al t
o ac
hiev
ing
sust
aina
bilit
y ou
tcom
es, i
n pa
rtic
ular
the
att
ract
iven
ess
of u
rban
are
as a
s pl
aces
in w
hich
to
both
live
and
wor
k.
• T
he r
ecog
nitio
n th
at d
iffer
ent
part
s of
the
reg
ion,
diff
eren
t se
ttle
men
ts,
and
the
rura
l are
as h
ave
diffe
rent
cha
ract
eris
tics,
con
stra
ints
and
op
port
uniti
es.
•
The
ove
rall
aim
to
impr
ove
the
alig
nmen
t of
hom
es w
ith jo
bs, w
hich
sh
ould
hel
p to
red
uce
the
need
to
trav
el.
• T
he s
tron
g at
tem
pt t
o de
al w
ith is
sues
of h
ousi
ng n
eed
and
affo
rdab
ility
, al
thou
gh t
his
has
been
wea
kene
d as
a r
esul
t of
the
red
uctio
n in
ove
rall
hous
ing
num
bers
in t
he fi
nal d
raft
of t
he R
SS.
• T
he e
mph
asis
on
wel
l-bei
ng a
nd r
educ
ing
ineq
ualit
y, a
nd t
he r
ecog
nitio
n th
at ‘g
ross
val
ue a
dded
’ (a
mea
sure
of e
cono
mic
per
form
ance
) is
not
the
on
ly m
easu
re o
f eco
nom
ic w
ell-b
eing
. •
The
rec
ogni
tion
that
the
eco
nom
y ne
eds
to b
e m
ade
mor
e en
viro
nmen
tally
sus
tain
able
. •
The
sup
port
giv
en t
o th
e im
prov
emen
t of
wor
kfor
ce s
kills
. •
The
ack
now
ledg
emen
t th
at t
here
nee
ds t
o be
sig
nific
ant
impr
ovem
ents
in
publ
ic t
rans
port
, cou
pled
with
dem
and
man
agem
ent
mea
sure
s (e
.g.
cong
estio
n ch
argi
ng).
• T
he a
im t
o im
prov
e en
viro
nmen
tal i
nfra
stru
ctur
e w
ithin
the
reg
ion.
• T
he m
any
stro
ng p
olic
ies
in s
uppo
rt o
f ene
rgy
effic
ienc
y ar
e lik
ely
to b
e of
fset
by
grow
th in
tra
ffic
to b
e ac
com
mod
ated
by
incr
ease
s in
roa
d ca
paci
ty (
desp
ite d
eman
d m
anag
emen
t m
easu
res
and
publ
ic t
rans
port
im
prov
emen
ts),
and
from
air
port
dev
elop
men
t, w
hich
will
mak
e it
diffi
cult
for
the
regi
on t
o ac
hiev
e its
tar
gets
for
redu
cing
car
bon
diox
ide
emis
sion
s.
• O
vera
ll le
vels
of g
row
th a
re li
kely
to
lead
to
incr
ease
d pr
essu
re o
n th
e en
viro
nmen
t an
d ch
arac
ter
of t
he S
outh
Wes
t, pl
us in
crea
sed
cons
umpt
ion
of n
atur
al r
esou
rces
, fur
ther
incr
easi
ng t
he r
egio
n’s
‘eco
logi
cal f
ootp
rint
’ (th
e am
ount
of n
atur
al r
esou
rces
con
sum
ed b
y an
ar
ea, s
uch
as e
nerg
y, w
ater
and
con
stru
ctio
n m
ater
ials
) al
thou
gh t
here
ar
e st
rong
pol
icie
s in
the
dra
ft R
SS t
hat
aim
to
redu
ce n
egat
ive
impa
cts
to a
min
imum
. •
The
em
phas
is o
n ec
onom
ic g
row
th (i
n G
VA
ter
ms)
, com
petit
iven
ess
and
prod
uctiv
ity r
athe
r th
an t
ypes
of e
cono
mic
act
ivity
may
not
alw
ays
bene
fit t
hose
mos
t in
nee
d.
• It
is n
ot c
lear
how
pot
entia
l con
flict
s in
man
y of
the
sub
-reg
iona
l po
licie
s be
twee
n re
alis
ing
econ
omic
pot
entia
l and
the
em
phas
is in
the
dr
aft
RSS
on
envi
ronm
enta
l lim
its w
ill b
e re
conc
iled
(e.g
. with
res
pect
to
roa
d an
d ai
rpor
t de
velo
pmen
t).
• D
espi
te im
prov
emen
ts in
the
dra
ft RS
S, t
he g
uida
nce
for
thos
e pa
rts
of
the
regi
on o
utsi
de t
he S
SCT
s, w
hich
incl
ude
man
y of
the
mor
e ru
ral
area
s, is
not
per
haps
as
clea
r as
it m
ight
be
beca
use
so m
uch
of t
he
stra
tegy
is fo
cuse
d on
the
urb
an a
reas
.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 vi
18. The potential sustainability effects of the draft RSS were predicted using the SSA headline objectives. A ‘traffic light’ summary of the likely effects is set out in Table 2.
Likely positive effects
19. Many positive effects of the draft RSS have been identified by the SSA. These are shown in green in Table 2. The Strategically Significant Cities and Towns (SSCTs) will benefit in particular, which is where some of the most significant sustainability ‘wins’ are likely to be achieved. The effects on more rural parts of the region are less clear.
Potential negative effects
20. A number of potential negative effects have also been identified, the most significant of which are shown in red in Table 2.
Uncertain or mixed effects
21. There are also a considerable number of uncertain or mixed effects of the draft RSS across a range of sustainability criteria. These are shown in amber in Table 2.
22. Table 2 may appear to be a long list of uncertain and mixed effects. This is not surprising given that many of the effects will be local and will be dependent upon the specific characteristics of individual locations. In practice, the effects could go either way. If the policies (e.g. Policies SD1 to SD4) in the draft RSS that aim to make development in the region sustainable are applied with rigour, then it is likely that many of these mixed or uncertain effects will become positive. Conversely, if these policies are not applied with rigour, then negative effects could easily result.
23. It may well be difficult to hold firm to these policies when the pressure to build is so high. For example, housing development is planned to be faster in the first half of the period covered by the draft RSS, which could conflict with the aim of the draft RSS not to exceed the capacity of water resource and sewage treatment systems to cope since investment in water infrastructure takes time to deliver.
24. The draft RSS sets out a pattern of development that goes well beyond 2026, and which will be a legacy for future generations. The Implementation Plan with the draft RSS should therefore stress the importance of meeting the requirements of the policies that aim to create a ‘step-change’ in delivering sustainable development, and preventing development that does not do so.
What alternatives to the draft RSS were considered? 25. The draft RSS is the outcome of a large amount of research, a series of
consultations with key stakeholders, and a number of refinements to both the amount of development (particularly housing) and the way that development is planned to be distributed across the region. Changes were also made to the wording of some of the policies that set out the criteria that need to be met by development in order to be permitted.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 vii
26. In the view of the SWRA the draft RSS represents the most appropriate approach to accommodating growth in the South West over the period 2006-2026, taking into account a wide range of economic, environmental and social factors. In particular, the SWRA have sought to accommodate a level of housing, economic and service development that also allows for the protection and enhancement of the environment, and that can be supported by existing and planned infrastructure (e.g. transport networks, sewage treatment works, schools and hospitals, etc.).
27. However, during the course of the SSA, it became apparent that a key assumption underlying the preparation of the draft RSS was that the region should continue to increase its economic interdependency with, and exposure to, trade and competition from the rest of the UK (especially London and the South East) and the rest of the world. The SSA questioned whether this would be compatible with reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the circulation of wealth within the region, and reducing the vulnerability of the economy to external shocks and international markets.
28. The SSA recommended that a greater emphasis on local distinctiveness, local circulation of wealth, and diverse local economies in order to meet local needs, economic security and continuity, and a reduction in vulnerability to international markets should be explored to determine whether this would be better for quality of life, the environment and resilience to future threats.
29. Although this was the subject of some discussion, given the stage of preparation of the draft RSS, it was not examined in any detail.
What could be done to make the draft RSS even more sustainable?
30. A high level of development would be sustainable if it could be delivered so that it benefited those most in need, helped to reduce traffic and greenhouse gas emissions, and did not result in a loss of biodiversity or access to amenity land, etc. In essence, this is what the Sustainability Principles in Section 1 (Policies SD1 to SD4) of the draft RSS aim to achieve. If these are applied with rigour then the growth in the South West will be sustainable. However, the SSA has shown that this is unlikely to happen.
31. This then raises the question whether there is any more that the draft RSS could do to increase the likelihood of sustainable outcomes arising. The draft RSS already pushes at the boundaries of what it can or cannot do. However, it needs to be supported by a mechanism for implementation (through local authorities’ Local Development Frameworks and decisions on development proposals) that gives Policies SD1 to SD4 ‘teeth’, so that development proposals that comply with these policies are welcomed by the region, whilst development proposals that conflict with them are not. This is a key recommendation of the SSA.
32. Other specific recommendations that would help to improve the draft RSS include:
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 viii
• Aim to reduce traffic as a whole rather than just reducing the rate at which traffic is increasing.
• Review the need for road improvements that run counter to the aim of reducing the need/desire to travel by car.
• Reverse the support given to airport and related development - even though it is national policy to accommodate increased demand in air travel, expanding airports and supporting airport related development will help to fuel this demand rather than dampen it down.
• Give clearer guidance on how those parts of the region that will be most affected by climate change should adapt (e.g. those coastal settlements that will be affected by sea level rise).
• Consider whether and how the RSS could give clearer guidance on how to deliver more sustainable patterns of development and activity outside of the SSCTs.
33. In addition, it is essential that central Government provides the right policy and regulatory framework across all departments to support what the draft RSS aims to achieve to make development in the region more sustainable. The SSA Report includes a list of recommendations directed towards central Government that address this issue. Once all the various influences on decision-making are aligned and going in the same direction, then there is a real opportunity for the sustainability weaknesses identified by the SSA in the draft RSS to be addressed and resolved.
Where can I find out more about the SSA? 34. The full SSA Report, including all recommendations for improvements to the
draft RSS, is available on the SWRA’s website: http://www.southwest-ra.gov.uk
Land Use Consultants Collingwood Environmental Planning Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants March 2006
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Tab
le 2
: Sum
mar
y of
like
ly s
usta
inab
ility
effe
cts
of t
he d
raft
RSS
Li
kely
pos
itiv
e ef
fect
s U
ncer
tain
or
mix
ed e
ffect
s (i
.e. I
t is
di
fficu
lt t
o ju
dge
whe
ther
…)
Like
ly n
egat
ive
effe
cts
• Im
prov
emen
ts t
o th
e he
alth
of t
he p
opul
atio
n of
the
reg
ion.
•
Mak
ing
suita
ble
hous
ing
avai
labl
e an
d m
ore
affo
rdab
le (a
lthou
gh t
he
num
bers
of a
fford
able
hou
sing
to
be p
rovi
ded
in t
he r
egio
n co
uld
be
diffi
cult
to a
chie
ve d
ue t
o th
e lo
wer
ove
rall
hous
ing
prov
isio
n in
the
su
bmis
sion
ver
sion
of t
he d
raft
RSS
). •
Giv
ing
ever
yone
acc
ess
to le
arni
ng, t
rain
ing,
ski
lls a
nd k
now
ledg
e,
part
icul
arly
in t
he S
SCT
s.
• R
educ
ed c
rim
e an
d fe
ar o
f cri
me
(alth
ough
the
sca
le o
f dev
elop
men
t an
d nu
mbe
rs o
f new
peo
ple
coul
d pl
ace
som
e co
mm
uniti
es u
nder
st
ress
). •
Incr
ease
d ac
cess
to
cultu
ral a
ctiv
ities
. •
Giv
ing
ever
yone
in t
he r
egio
n ac
cess
to
satis
fyin
g w
ork
oppo
rtun
ities
(a
lthou
gh t
hese
ben
efits
are
mos
t lik
ely
to b
e de
liver
ed in
the
SSC
Ts,
an
d it
is n
ot c
lear
how
muc
h th
e m
ore
depr
ived
com
mun
ities
will
be
nefit
com
pare
d to
new
peo
ple
com
ing
to li
ve in
the
Sou
th W
est)
. •
A r
educ
ed n
eed
to t
rave
l by
car,
par
ticul
arly
in t
he S
SCT
s. Im
prov
ed
acce
ss t
o ba
sic
serv
ices
, par
ticul
arly
in t
he S
SCT
s.
• Pu
blic
tra
nspo
rt, c
yclin
g an
d w
alki
ng m
ade
mor
e at
trac
tive,
pa
rtic
ular
ly in
the
SSC
Ts.
•
Prot
ectio
n an
d en
hanc
emen
t of
tow
nsca
pes
with
in u
rban
are
as.
• V
alui
ng a
nd p
rote
ctin
g th
e di
vers
ity a
nd d
istin
ctiv
enes
s of
the
reg
ion
incl
udin
g ru
ral w
ays
of li
fe (w
hich
is s
tron
ger
than
in e
arlie
r ve
rsio
ns
of t
he d
raft
RSS
, alth
ough
the
re a
re s
till s
ome
conc
erns
tha
t th
e ur
ban
focu
s of
the
RSS
cou
ld u
nder
min
e th
is o
bjec
tive,
with
the
rur
al
area
s ge
nera
lly r
ecei
ving
less
att
entio
n an
d cl
arity
of g
uida
nce)
. •
Mai
nten
ance
and
enh
ance
men
t of
cul
tura
l and
his
tori
cal a
sset
s (a
lthou
gh s
ome
loss
es m
ay s
till b
e in
evita
ble)
. •
A s
igni
fican
t re
duct
ion
in t
he r
egio
n’s
cont
ribu
tion
to g
reen
hous
e ga
s em
issi
ons
from
bui
lt de
velo
pmen
t, an
d re
new
able
ene
rgy
targ
ets
(alth
ough
thi
s is
like
ly t
o be
offs
et b
y ot
her
elem
ents
of t
he R
SS a
s de
scri
bed
belo
w).
• R
educ
ed a
mou
nts
of w
aste
bei
ng s
ent
to la
ndfil
l site
s.
• St
rong
er a
nd m
ore
vibr
ant
com
mun
ities
will
res
ult
from
the
de
velo
pmen
t pr
opos
als.
•
Ever
yone
will
be
able
to
affo
rd a
co
mfo
rtab
le s
tand
ard
of li
ving
. •
Pove
rty
and
inco
me
equa
lity
will
be
redu
ced.
•
Loca
l nee
ds w
ill b
e m
et lo
cally
. •
The
cir
cula
tion
of w
ealth
in t
he r
egio
n w
ill b
e in
crea
sed.
•
The
eco
nom
ic p
oten
tial o
f the
coa
st
will
be
harn
esse
d in
a s
usta
inab
le w
ay.
• A
(sig
nific
ant)
sw
itch
from
tra
nspo
rtin
g fr
eigh
t by
roa
d to
rai
l or
wat
er w
ill
occu
r.
• H
abita
ts a
nd s
peci
es w
ill b
e pr
otec
ted
and
enha
nced
, tak
ing
into
acc
ount
cl
imat
e ch
ange
. •
The
con
serv
atio
n an
d w
ise
use
of la
nd
will
be
prom
oted
. •
Vul
nera
bilit
y to
floo
ding
, sea
leve
l ris
e,
taki
ng in
to a
ccou
nt c
limat
e ch
ange
, will
be
red
uced
. •
Wat
er c
onsu
mpt
ion
will
be
kept
with
in
loca
l car
ryin
g ca
paci
ty li
mits
, tak
ing
into
ac
coun
t cl
imat
e ch
ange
. •
The
con
sum
ptio
n an
d ex
trac
tion
of
min
eral
s w
ill b
e m
inim
ised
. •
Wat
er p
ollu
tion
will
be
min
imis
ed.
• D
espi
te t
he r
educ
ed n
eed
to t
rave
l by
car,
par
ticul
arly
in t
he S
SCT
s, t
he
actu
al a
mou
nt o
f tra
vel b
y ca
r is
like
ly
to in
crea
se, e
spec
ially
out
side
of t
he
SSC
Ts.
•
An
incr
ease
in a
ir t
rave
l, w
hich
is t
he
mos
t un
sust
aina
ble
form
of t
rave
l. •
An
incr
ease
in g
reen
hous
e ga
s em
issi
ons,
des
pite
str
ong
polic
ies
on
ener
gy e
ffici
ency
, as
a re
sult
of
incr
ease
d tr
affic
and
air
tra
vel.
• A
pot
entia
l inc
reas
e in
the
vul
nera
bilit
y of
the
eco
nom
y as
a r
esul
t of
clim
ate
chan
ge.
• A
cha
nge
in la
ndsc
ape
char
acte
r,
espe
cial
ly w
here
dev
elop
men
t is
like
ly
to b
e m
ost
conc
entr
ated
(alth
ough
the
dr
aft
RSS
doe
s ai
m fo
r a
high
sta
ndar
d of
des
ign,
del
iver
ing
this
may
be
diffi
cult)
. •
A g
radu
al in
crea
se in
ligh
t an
d no
ise
pollu
tion,
and
pos
sibl
y ai
r po
llutio
n (o
utsi
de t
he S
SCT
s), f
rom
de
velo
pmen
t an
d tr
affic
.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 1
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Land Use Consultants, Collingwood Environmental Planning, and Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants were commissioned by the South West Regional Assembly (SWRA) in February 2004 to undertake the Strategic Sustainability Assessment of the emerging South West Regional Spatial Strategy (draft RSS).
1.2. The SWRA is submitting the draft RSS1 to the Secretary of State in March 2006. The draft RSS is required to be subject to a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) in accordance with the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, and a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in accordance with the European SEA Directive 2001/42/EC. The SWRA has decided to meet these two requirements within a single assessment referred to as a ‘Strategic Sustainability Assessment’ (SSA) that will also conform to the 2005 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) guidance on sustainability appraisal2 (‘ODPM SA Guidance’).
PURPOSE OF SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL 1.3. The purpose of sustainability appraisal is to promote sustainable development by
integrating sustainability considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans.
1.4. The objective of Strategic Environmental Assessment, as defined in Article 1 of the SEA Directive is ‘to provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans….with a view to promoting sustainable development’.
1.5. The ODPM SA Guidance explains the difference between environmental assessments required under the SEA Directive and sustainability appraisal of development plans as required by the UK Government. There are many parallels but also some differences, and the guidance clearly shows how assessment to comply with the SEA Directive can be integrated with current practice on sustainability appraisal. Simply put, sustainability appraisal includes a wider range of considerations, extending to social and economic impacts of plans, whereas SEA is more focussed on environmental impacts. The SA guidance describes how it is possible to satisfy both requirements through a single appraisal process as the South West Regional Assembly has decided to do with the SSA of the Regional Spatial Strategy3.
1.6. A key output of the SA process is a Sustainability Appraisal Report (in this case the ‘SSA Report’) which describes what elements of the South West RSS have been appraised and how, and the likely significant sustainability effects of implementation of the draft RSS.
1 The Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West 2006-2026: Version 4.1 March 2006 For Submission. South West Regional Assembly, March 2006. 2 Sustainability Appraisal of Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Frameworks. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, November 2005. 3 From this point on, references to the Strategic Sustainability Assessment (SSA) shall be taken as meaning ‘the SA incorporating SEA’.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 2
AIM OF THE SSA REPORT 1.7. This report constitutes the Strategic Sustainability Assessment (SSA) Report for the
draft South West Regional Spatial Strategy (Version 4.1 March 2006). It has been produced alongside the draft RSS, and is being published for consultation at the same time to provide the public and statutory bodies with an opportunity to express their opinions on the SSA Report and to use it as a reference point in commenting on the draft RSS.
1.8. As noted above, the SSA has sought to meet the requirements of both the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and the SEA Directive (European Directive 2001/42/EC). This SSA Report therefore includes the required elements of an ‘Environmental Report’ (the output required by the SEA Directive). Table 1.1 sign-posts the relevant sections of the SSA Report that are considered to meet the SEA Directive requirements.
1.9. This report does not represent an Appropriate Assessment under Article 6(3) and (4) of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC.
Table 1.1 Summary of the requirements of the SEA Directive and where these have been addressed in this SSA Report (after Figure 12, SA Guidance, ODPM 2005)
SEA Directive Requirements Where covered in SSA Report
Preparation of an environmental report in which the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing the plan or programme, and reasonable alternatives taking into account the objectives and geographical scope of the plan or programme, are identified, described and evaluated. The information to be given is (Art. 5 and Annex I): An outline of the contents, main objectives of the plan or programme, and relationship with other relevant plans and programmes
Chapters 1, 3 and Appendix A2
The relevant aspects of the current state of the environment and the likely evolution thereof without implementation of the plan or programme
Chapter 4 and Appendix A3
The environmental characteristics of areas likely to be significantly affected Chapter 4 and Appendix C
Any existing environmental problems which are relevant to the plan or programme including, in particular, those relating to any areas of a particular environmental importance, such as areas designated pursuant to Directives 79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC.
Chapter 4 and Appendix C
The environmental protection, objectives, established at international, Community or national level, which are relevant to the plan or programme and the way those objectives and any environmental, considerations have been taken into account during its preparation
Chapter 3, 5 and Appendix A2
The likely significant effects on the environment, including on issues such as biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets, cultural heritage including architectural and archaeological heritage, landscape and the interrelationship between the above factors. (Footnote: These effects should include secondary, cumulative, synergistic, short, medium and long-term permanent and temporary, positive and negative effects)
Chapters 7-17 and Appendices B and C
The measures envisaged to prevent, reduce and as fully as possible offset any significant adverse effects on the environment of implementing the plan or
Chapters 7-17 and
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 3
SEA Directive Requirements Where covered in SSA Report
programme Appendices B and C
An outline of the reasons for selecting the alternatives dealt with, and a description of how the assessment was undertaken including any difficulties (such as technical deficiencies or lack of know-how) encountered in compiling the required information
Chapters 2, 6, 7-17
A description of measures envisaged concerning monitoring in accordance with Art. 10;
Chapter 18
A non-technical summary of the information provided under the above headings Non-technical Summary
The report must include the information that may reasonably be required taking into account current knowledge and methods of assessment, the contents and level of detail in the plan or programme, its stage in the decision-making process and the extent to which certain matters are more appropriately assessed at different levels in that process to avoid duplication of the assessment (Art. 5.2)
Whole SSA Report
Consultation: Authorities with environmental responsibility, when deciding on the scope and level of detail of the information which must be included in the environmental report (Art. 5.4)
Revised Scoping Report Sept 2004 and Appendix A4
Authorities with environmental responsibility and the public, shall be given an early and effective opportunity within appropriate time frames to express their opinion on the draft plan or programme and the accompanying environmental report before the adoption of the plan or programme (Art. 6.1, 6.2)
Consultation on this SSA Report
Other EU Member States, where the implementation of the plan or programme is likely to have significant effects on the environment of that country (Art. 7)
Not applicable
Taking the environmental report and the results of the consultations into account in decision-making (Art. 8)
Chapter 6
Provision of information on the decision: When the plan or programme is adopted, the public and any countries consulted under Art.7 must be informed and the following made available to those so informed: • The plan or programme as adopted • A statement summarising how environmental considerations have been
integrated into the plan or programme and how the environmental report of Article 5, the opinions expressed pursuant to Article 6 and the results of consultations entered into pursuant to Art. 7 have been taken into account in accordance with Art. 8, and the reasons for choosing the plan or programme as adopted, in the light of the other reasonable alternatives dealt with
• The measures decided concerning monitoring (Art. 9)
To be addressed prior to publication of the final RSS
Monitoring of the significant environmental effects of the plan's or programme's implementation (Art. 10)
Chapter 18
STRUCTURE OF THE SSA REPORT 1.10. This SSA Report sets out the process and findings of the SSA of the draft RSS.
Account has been taken of the previous work conducted as part of the earlier stages of the SSA. These are described in Chapter 3. Much of the contextual material in
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 4
this SSA Report has been drawn from the earlier SSA Scoping Report4, SSA of the Possible Development Strategies Report5 and the consultation responses received on those reports.
1.11. This chapter provides the background to the SSA of the draft RSS, and an outline of the content and main objectives of the draft RSS. The remainder of this report is structured into the following chapters, (Chapters 7 to 16 follow the structure of the draft RSS):
Chapter 2 – Appraisal Methodology, describes the approach used to the SSA process and the specific SSA tasks undertaken.
Chapter 3 – Sustainability Requirements of other Relevant Plans and Programmes and Baseline Information, discusses the draft RSS relationship with other relevant plans, policy guidance and strategies, and highlights the key sustainability objectives influencing the draft RSS.
Chapter 4 – The Character and Sustainability Issues of the South West, characterises the South West in terms of sustainability issues relating to development, identified from the baseline information gathered.
Chapter 5 – SSA Framework, describes the development of the SSA objectives for assessing the draft RSS.
Chapter 6 – How the SSA has influenced the draft RSS, describes the different types of input the SSA has made and how recommendations were taken on board by the SWRA.
Chapter 7 – Appraisal of draft RSS Section 1: A Sustainable Future for the South West.
Chapter 8 – Appraisal of draft RSS Section 2: The Context for the Spatial Strategy.
Chapter 9 – Appraisal of draft RSS Section 3: The Spatial Strategy and Guidance for the Scale and Location of Development.
Chapter 10 – Appraisal of draft RSS Section 4: Sub Regional Strategy Statements and Housing Distribution to Housing Market Areas and Districts.
Chapter 11 – Appraisal of draft RSS Section 5: Regional Approach to Transport.
Chapter 12 – Appraisal of draft RSS Section 6: Harnessing Population Growth, Managing Change and Ensuring People can Participate in Society.
Chapter 13 – Appraisal of draft RSS Section 7: Enhancing Distinctive Environments and Cultural Life.
4 Strategic Sustainability Assessment of the South West Regional Spatial Strategy. Stage 1 Scoping – Revised Report for Consultation. Prepared for South West Regional Assembly by Land Use Consultants with Collingwood Environmental Planning and Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants, September 2004. 5 Strategic Sustainability Assessment of the South West Regional Spatial Strategy. SSA of the Possible Development Strategies for the Region. Final Report. Prepared for South West Regional Assembly by Land Use Consultants with Collingwood Environmental Planning and Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants, August 2004.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 5
Chapter 14 – Appraisal of draft RSS Section 8: Enhancing Economic Prosperity and Quality of Employment Opportunity.
Chapter 15 – Appraisal of draft RSS Section 9: Addressing Deprivation and Disadvantage to Reduce Intra Regional Inequalities.
Chapter 16 – Appraisal of draft RSS Section 10: Ensuring People are Treated Fairly and can Participate in Society.
Chapter 17 – Overall Effects of the draft RSS, summarises the findings of the appraisal of all sections in the draft RSS.
Chapter 18 – Implementation and Monitoring proposals.
Chapter 19 – Conclusions and Key Recommendations.
SOUTH WEST RSS BACKGROUND 1.12. A requirement of the SEA Directive is to include the contents and main objectives of
the plan being assessed in the SSA Report.
1.13. The draft RSS is set out in ten sections (as listed above in the structure of the SSA Report section, para. 1.11). Each section contains introductory text describing the South West context and background to the policies in the section. The first three sections of the draft RSS set out the guiding Sustainability Principles for the South West (Section 1); the underlying character of the region, in environmental, economic and social terms, and the trends that the region is experiencing (Section 2); and the overall spatial strategy for the period covered by the draft RSS, i.e. the scale and broad location of development (Section 3). The overall spatial strategy in Section 3 describes three broad sub-divisions for the South West with distinct emphases for development:
• Stimulating economic activity and development particularly in the western part of the peninsula.
• Realising economic and other potential particularly in the north and centre of the region.
• Managing growth within environmental limits particularly in the south eastern part of the region.
1.14. It also identifies 23 Strategically Significant Cities and Towns (SSCTs) where an increased proportion of new development (particularly housing) is to be delivered (Development Policy A).
1.15. Section 4 of the draft RSS provides more locationally specific policies for the SSCTs and associated towns within each of the three broad sub-divisions of the region, and sets out in tables the required distribution of housing development across the region to 2026 by District and Housing Market Areas and by the SSCTs. Section 5 sets out the regional approach to transport and Section 6 describes the approach to delivering sufficient and affordable housing and good quality public services and community infrastructure. Sections 7 to 10 of the draft RSS cover the thematic issues of
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 6
environment and culture; economic prosperity and employment opportunity; deprivation and disadvantage; and equality and diversity.
1.16. The main objectives of the draft RSS are discussed in its Section 1 “A Sustainable Future for the South West”. In particular, paragraph 1.3.1 of the draft RSS states:
“The regional future this strategy is working towards can be summed up as one where:
• All communities enjoy the benefits of further development and where housing needs are satisfied;
• The economy continues to prosper;
• Rural parts of the region fulfil their economic potential with vibrant market towns at their core;
• Bristol becomes a major European city;
• Plymouth continues its renaissance and becomes the economic hub of the far South West;
• Swindon, Exeter, Cheltenham/Gloucester, Bournemouth/Poole, Weston super Mare and Taunton develop as important focal points for economic growth;
• Regeneration of the Cornwall towns, Forest of Dean and Torbay and other priority areas continues to have effect;
• Growth is supported by necessary infrastructure in step with development.
1.17. Section 1 of the draft RSS also discusses the challenges facing the South West region, referring to its role in responding to the “key challenges” set out in the Integrated Regional Strategy (IRS) “just connect!” that was adopted by the region in July 2004. The IRS6 is the overarching strategy for the South West, which sets out the broad objectives and priorities for the region that are relevant across sectors and provide the context for the other regional strategies.
1.18. The draft RSS notes in paragraph 1.4.2 that the RSS is a key delivery mechanism for just connect!, and, at paragraph 1.5.1 that the IRS five Headline Aims provide a clear lead for spatial and development policy for the region. The draft RSS also notes that there are strong linkages between the IRS Headline Aims (shown in the box below) and different aspects of the draft RSS (shown in italics next to each aim):
6 The draft IRS “Just Connect” was considered by the SWRA on the 16th July 2004. It can be found at www.southwest-ra.gov.uk/swra/ourwork/integratedregionalstrategy/index.shtml
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 7
IRS Headline Aims for the South West
Aim 1 To harness the benefits of population growth and manage the implications of population change (draft RSS reference: Sections 3, 4 and 6)
• Aim 2 To enhance our distinctive environments and the quality and diversity of our cultural life (draft RSS reference: Sections 3, 4 and 7)
• Aim 3 To enhance our economic prosperity and quality of employment opportunity (draft RSS reference: Sections 4 and 8)
• Aim 4 To address deprivation and disadvantage to reduce significant intra-regional inequalities (draft RSS reference: Sections 4 and 9)
• Aim 5 To make sure that people are treated fairly and can participate fully in society (draft RSS reference: Sections 4 and 10)
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 9
2. SSA METHOD
APPROACH TO THE SSA 2.1. Although the SSA is being carried out by independent consultants, it was recognised
by the SWRA that the aim is for the SSA to be an integral component in the preparation of the RSS from inception to adoption, with close working between those responsible for preparing the draft RSS and the SSA consultancy team throughout. To this end, in addition to the formal SSA reports produced, there has been regular dialogue between the SWRA officers and the SSA team. The SSA team has also provided sustainability commentary throughout the development of the draft RSS in the form of background papers or presentations at key SWRA meetings of the Regional Spatial Planning and Transport Group, and the SSA Steering Group (SSASG).
2.2. The SSASG was set up by the SWRA to oversee the assessment process and comprises representatives of the four statutory SEA consultation bodies (Countryside Agency, English Nature, English Heritage, and the Environment Agency), plus representatives of wider environmental, social and economic interests (see Appendix A1). The SSASG and the SSA team have met regularly throughout the process to discuss procedural SSA issues and wider sustainability challenges for the RSS.
2.3. The SSA has been undertaken in three broad stages:
• Stage 1 – SSA Scope, Context and RSS Sustainability Issues.
• Stage 2 – SSA of RSS Possible Development Strategies.
• Stage 3 – SSA of Draft RSS and Consultation on SSA Report.
2.4. The relationship between these SSA stages for the draft South West RSS and the generic stages of SA for RSSs set out in the OPDM SA Guidance is shown in Table 2.1.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 10
Table 2.1 Corresponding stages in ODPM SA Guidance and the three stages in the SSA of draft South West RSS
Stages and tasks as set out in Figure 2 the ODPM SA Guidance, 2005
Corresponding stages in the SSA of the draft South West
RSS Stage A: Setting the context and objectives, establishing the baseline and deciding on the scope A1: Identifying other relevant plans, programmes, and sustainability
objectives A2: Collecting baseline information A3: Identifying sustainability issues and problems A4: Developing the SA Framework A5: Consulting on the scope of the SA
Stage 1 – SSA Scope, Context and RSS Sustainability Issues
Stage B: Develop options and policies, taking account of assessed effects and developing the draft RSS B1: Testing the RSS objectives against the SA Framework1
B2: Developing the RSS options
Stage 2 – SSA of RSS Possible Development Strategies
B3: Predicting the effects of the RSS
B4: Evaluating the effects of the RSS
B5: Considering ways of mitigating adverse effects and maximising beneficial effects
B6: Proposing measures to monitor the significant effects of implementing the RSS
Stage C: Preparing the SA Report
C1: Preparing the SA Report
Stage D: Consulting on the draft RSS and the SA Report
D1: Consulting on the draft RSS and the SA Report
Stage 3 – SSA of Draft RSS and Consultation on SSA Report
Note: 1 The draft RSS does not include objectives specific to the RSS, therefore the Stage B1 test was not undertaken
STAGE 1 – SSA SCOPE, CONTEXT AND RSS SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES
2.5. Stage 1 (Scoping) of the SSA comprised the following work:
(i) Review of the objectives in the Regional Sustainable Development Framework.
(ii) Review of other strategies, plans and programmes relevant to the South West.
(iii) Development of the SSA Framework.
(iv) Review of baseline information.
(v) Identification of the Key Characteristics and Sustainability Issues facing the South West.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 11
2.6. Stage 1 of the SSA was partially completed and documented in a number of versions culminating in the Stage 1 Scoping Final Report7 produced in June 2004. The June 2004 Scoping Report was updated8 in September 2004, to meet SEA requirements that were identified during the first SEA compliance check9. It was then published for consultation with the statutory bodies with environmental, social and economic responsibilities to ensure the SSA would be comprehensive and robust enough to support the RSS development.
2.7. As noted in the Introduction, much of the contextual information developed during Stage 1 is repeated in this SSA Report.
SSA guidance for Joint Study Areas 2.8. In addition to the preparation of the Scoping Report, the SSA team provided
guidance10 in June 2004 on how the development of the evidence base for the Joint Study Areas (JSAs – formerly referred to as the City-Region Studies, these studies informed the preparation of the Sub Regional Strategy Statements in Section 4 of the draft RSS) should be undertaken and recorded to allow the SSA of the draft RSS to be carried out (reproduced in Appendix C1). This guidance included a checklist to ensure the work undertaken by the JSAs was capable of assimilation into the SSA of the emerging RSS at the regional level, and in particular that the requirements of the SEA Directive would be met.
STAGE 2 – SSA OF RSS POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
2.9. The purpose of this stage was to set out the sustainability implications of each of the spatial development strategies and housing growth scenarios (the ‘options’ described in the ODPM SA Guidance) that were considered by those preparing the draft RSS. In order to meet the requirements of the SEA Directive, the possible development strategies considered needed to include the ‘do-nothing/business as usual’ option(s).
2.10. The SSA team provided commentary throughout the development of the draft RSS Possible Development Strategies, which included advice on the types of options being considered, recommendations for which options should be appraised as part of the SSA, and for the options to be clearly defined and differentiated from one another when put to public consultation.
7 Strategic Sustainability Assessment of the South West Regional Spatial Strategy. Stage 1 Scoping – Final Report. Prepared for South West Regional Assembly by Land Use Consultants with Collingwood Environmental Planning and Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants, June 2004. 8 Strategic Sustainability Assessment of the South West Regional Spatial Strategy. Stage 1 Scoping – Revised Report for Consultation. Prepared for South West Regional Assembly by Land Use Consultants with Collingwood Environmental Planning and Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants, September 2004. 9 This task was undertaken in June 2004 by Professor Riki Therivel of Oxford Brookes University and Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants to ensure that the requirements of the SEA Directive (EC Directive 2001/42/EC on ‘the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment’) have been met by the SSA work. 10 SSA Guidance for the City-Region Studies. Land Use Consultants with Collingwood Environmental Planning and Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants, June 2004.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 12
2.11. The SWRA decided that the public should be consulted on three Possible Development Strategies for the Region:
(i) Possible Development Strategy 1: ‘No change’ – Continue with RPG10 focussed on 11 Principal Urban Areas (PUA s) and other centres for growth.
(ii) Possible Development Strategy 2: Variation on RPG10 based on strengthening RPG10 / concentrate more growth on a smaller number of urban centres to maximise economies of scale.
(iii) Possible Development Strategy 3: Differential Approach recognising the role of strategically and functionally important settlements in different parts of the region.
2.12. In the process of developing the three Possible Development Strategies, SWRA also considered three additional development strategies but felt that these were not suitable to be put forward as RSS Possible Development Strategies following a simple level of testing against the criteria set out in the Draft RSS Options Report11. The three additional development strategies were:
(iv) Options including one or more substantial freestanding new towns.
(v) Going with past development trends (previously referred to as ‘Going with past markets’).
(vi) A strategy based on low growth/low net migration scenarios.
2.13. The SSA team recommended that both different growth scenarios (v) and (vi) and the new settlement option (iv) be assessed as part of the SSA, and reported upon during the public consultation on the RSS Possible Development Strategies. This was agreed by SWRA. These additional development strategies were therefore also reported upon in the Stage 2 SSA Report12, although the detail underpinning the three additional development strategies had not been worked to the same extent as the three Possible Development Strategies that were put forward for public consultation. In addition to the Stage 2 SSA Report, it was agreed with the SWRA that the Public Consultation Report13 should include a summary of the findings of the SSA, rather than the SSA remaining purely as a stand-alone document.
The approach to the SSA of the Possible Development Strategies 2.14. Early drafts of the RSS Possible Development Strategies Public Consultation Report
combined different spatial development strategies with different growth scenarios, but for the purposes of the SSA it was decided to differentiate between the two to
11 At this stage in the SSA process, the term ‘options’ was being used to describe the possible development strategies. 12 Strategic Sustainability Assessment of the South West Regional Spatial Strategy. SSA of the Possible Development Strategies for the Region. Final Report. Prepared for South West Regional Assembly by Land Use Consultants with Collingwood Environmental Planning and Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants, 25 August 2004. 13 Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West 2006-2026: Consultation Report Possible Development Strategies for the Region. Report for Consultation Autumn 2004. South West Regional Assembly, August 2004.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 13
cover firstly spatial development strategies, and secondly housing growth scenarios 14. This is because, in theory, any of the spatial development strategies could conceivably deliver the same levels of housing growth. It was felt necessary therefore, for the SSA to distinguish between those effects that could be ascribed to spatial locations, and those that could be ascribed to the numbers of dwellings being delivered. This helped to provide a consistent basis for assessment.
The Possible Development Strategies
Possible Development Strategy 1: ‘No change’ – Continue with RPG10 focussed on 11 Principal Urban Areas (PUA s) and other centres for growth.
Possible Development Strategy 2: Variation on RPG 10 based on strengthening RPG10 / concentrate more growth on a smaller number of urban centres to maximise economies of scale.
Possible Development Strategy 3: Differential Approach recognising the role of strategically and functionally important settlements in different parts of the region.
Additional Development Strategy 4: Options including one or more substantial freestanding new towns.
Additional Development Strategy 5: Going with past development trends (previously referred to as ‘Going with past markets’).
2.15. Each of these development strategies was appraised separately, although it should be noted that Possible Development Strategies 1 to 3 were variations on the existing RPG10 and the ones put forward for public consultation. Additional Development Strategy 4, which could be combined with any of the other spatial development strategies (i.e. it is not a stand-alone development strategy in its own right), and Additional Development Strategy 5 were not consulted upon, but were subject to assessment under the SSA process.
14 The final version of the Consultation Paper presents only possible spatial strategies, not growth options
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
14
Tab
le 2
.2 S
usta
inab
ility
str
engt
hs a
nd w
eakn
esse
s of
RSS
str
ateg
ies
and
scen
ario
s
1: ‘N
o ch
ange
’ –
cont
inue
wit
h R
PG10
2:
Str
engt
hen
RPG
10
& c
once
ntra
te o
n fe
wer
PU
As
3: D
iffer
enti
al a
ppro
ach
4: O
ne o
r m
ore
free
stan
ding
new
tow
ns
5: ‘G
oing
wit
h pa
st
deve
lopm
ent
tren
ds’
Tow
ards
Sce
nari
o A
: Low
er h
ousi
ng
grow
th
Tow
ards
Sce
nari
o D
: H
ighe
r ho
usin
g gr
owth
Sustainability strengths
Hig
h de
nsity
urb
an
livin
g is
rel
ativ
ely
reso
urce
effi
cien
t (la
nd,
was
te, w
ater
, etc
.) an
d of
fers
opp
ortu
nitie
s fo
r in
vest
ing
in
envi
ronm
enta
l im
prov
emen
ts (
e.g.
co
untr
y pa
rks)
. Li
kely
to
enc
oura
ge e
cono
mic
ac
tivity
to
be
conc
entr
ated
in P
UA
s.
Shou
ld in
crea
se
oppo
rtun
ities
for
easy
ac
cess
to
serv
ices
(e.
g.
heal
th)
and
jobs
.
Like
ly t
o le
ad t
o hi
ghes
t de
nsiti
es, t
here
fore
mos
t re
sour
ce e
ffici
ent,
and
grea
test
opp
ortu
nitie
s fo
r in
vest
ing
in
envi
ronm
enta
l im
prov
emen
ts, a
nd
sust
aina
ble
tran
spor
t.
Econ
omic
act
ivity
eve
n m
ore
conc
entr
ated
in
few
er P
UA
s, w
hich
cou
ld
prov
ide
for
incr
ease
d jo
bs a
nd im
prov
ed h
ealth
in
the
se lo
catio
ns.
Rec
ogni
ses
the
diffe
renc
es
with
in t
he r
egio
n an
d pr
ovid
es
for
loca
l dis
tinct
iven
ess
and
serv
ices
. M
ore
likel
y to
lead
to
eco
nom
ic a
ctiv
ity t
hat
mat
ches
loca
l mar
ket
stre
ngth
s an
d de
liver
s af
ford
able
hou
sing
an
d jo
bs in
rur
al lo
catio
ns.
Shou
ld s
prea
d th
e im
pact
of
deve
lopm
ent
and
redu
ce
pres
sure
on
habi
tats
, la
ndsc
apes
, his
tori
c en
viro
nmen
ts in
som
e ar
eas.
T
his
may
hel
p to
red
uce
exis
ting
heal
th in
equa
litie
s be
twee
n th
e N
orth
Eas
t an
d So
uth
Wes
t of
the
reg
ion.
Opp
ortu
nity
to
deve
lop
a su
stai
nabl
e co
mm
unity
from
sc
ratc
h us
ing
sust
aina
ble
cons
truc
tion,
des
ign
and
tr
ansp
ort
solu
tions
, en
cour
agin
g he
alth
y lif
esty
les.
Cou
ld p
rovi
de a
lo
ng t
erm
res
pons
e to
cl
imat
e ch
ange
(by
avo
idin
g flo
od r
isk
whe
n lo
catin
g ne
w t
own)
. C
ould
lead
to
diffe
rent
ial e
cono
mic
pe
rfor
man
ce, d
epen
dent
on
attr
actin
g in
vest
men
t to
ne
w t
own.
Like
ly t
o le
ad t
o gr
eate
st
econ
omic
gro
wth
, pa
rtic
ular
ly in
nor
th a
nd e
ast.
Le
ss e
nvir
onm
enta
l im
pact
on
mor
e pe
riph
eral
and
rem
ote
sett
lem
ents
.
Less
dem
and
for
reso
urce
s, le
ss
was
te, l
ess
cong
estio
n. R
ural
la
ndsc
apes
, hab
itats
, gr
eenf
ield
land
like
ly
to b
enef
it fr
om
redu
ced
pres
sure
fr
om d
evel
opm
ent.
T
here
cou
ld b
e le
ss
pres
sure
on
alre
ady
stre
tche
d se
rvic
es
and
faci
litie
s.
Pote
ntia
l inc
reas
ed
circ
ulat
ion
of w
ealth
, an
d le
ss t
rave
l.
Mor
e lik
ely
to p
rovi
de
oppo
rtun
ities
to
deliv
er
jobs
and
suf
ficie
nt
num
bers
of t
he r
ight
ty
pes
of h
ousi
ng fo
r th
ose
who
nee
d it
mos
t. In
crea
sed
inve
stm
ent,
thus
op
port
unity
to
deliv
er
sust
aina
ble
desi
gn,
publ
ic t
rans
port
, and
en
viro
nmen
tal
impr
ovem
ents
. In
vest
men
t co
uld
also
pr
ovid
e su
ffici
ent
com
mun
ity
infr
astr
uctu
re a
nd
serv
ices
.
Sustainability weaknesses
Cou
ld le
ad t
o pr
essu
re
on h
abita
ts a
nd
land
scap
es c
lose
to
PUA
s. Q
ualit
y of
life
in
PUA
s de
crea
sed,
unl
ess
‘live
abili
ty’ i
s ad
dres
sed.
G
iven
incr
easi
ngly
ur
ban
lifes
tyle
s in
rur
al
loca
tions
, dan
ger
that
ru
ral s
ervi
ces
coul
d be
lo
st.
Affo
rdab
le h
ousi
ng
is le
ss li
kely
to
be
deliv
ered
in s
mal
ler
rura
l com
mun
ities
. D
epri
ved
area
s ou
tsid
e PU
As
will
not
ben
efit
from
eco
nom
ic a
ctiv
ity.
Mor
e pr
essu
re o
n ha
bita
ts a
nd la
ndsc
apes
cl
ose
to t
he P
UA
s, w
hich
ar
e al
read
y en
viro
nmen
tally
co
nstr
aine
d. M
ore
pres
sure
on
qual
ity o
f life
w
ithin
PU
As.
Mor
e lik
elih
ood
of lo
ss o
f rur
al
serv
ices
, and
red
uced
ec
onom
ic a
ctiv
ity in
de
priv
ed a
reas
out
side
PU
As,
lead
ing
to m
ore
isol
atio
n of
tho
se a
reas
. Ex
istin
g tr
ends
in h
ealth
in
equa
litie
s be
twee
n th
e no
rth
east
and
sou
th
wes
t of
the
reg
ion
coul
d be
incr
ease
d.
Loss
of m
ore
gree
nfie
ld la
nd
and
less
effi
cien
t us
e of
re
sour
ces.
Env
iron
men
tal
impa
cts
wou
ld b
e m
ore
wid
espr
ead,
but
less
co
ncen
trat
ed.
Incr
ease
d lig
ht
pollu
tion
in r
ural
are
as.
Cou
ld
be s
ome
dise
cono
mie
s of
sca
le
and
effe
ct o
n co
mpe
titiv
enes
s.
Tra
ffic
coul
d in
crea
se a
t a
high
er r
ate
if gr
eate
r se
lf-co
ntai
nmen
t of
set
tlem
ents
is
not
achi
eved
.
Incr
ease
d pr
essu
re o
n gr
eenf
ield
land
hab
itats
and
la
ndsc
apes
in lo
catio
n of
ne
w t
own,
pos
sibl
y fu
ndam
enta
lly c
hang
ing
its
char
acte
r. M
ay le
ad t
o cr
eatio
n of
a ‘d
orm
itory
’ to
wn
and
wou
ld t
ake
time
to b
uild
com
mun
ity s
piri
t an
d vi
bran
cy.
May
div
ert
econ
omic
inve
stm
ent
from
el
sew
here
in t
he r
egio
n.
Unl
ess
this
opt
ion
is
com
bine
d w
ith o
ne o
f the
ot
her
optio
ns, i
t w
ould
re
quir
e a
new
city
to
prov
ide
the
scal
e of
gro
wth
ne
eded
(i.e
. 100
,000
+).
Unp
lann
ed d
evel
opm
ent
wou
ld le
ad t
o in
crea
sing
ly
urba
nise
d ch
arac
ter,
gre
ater
en
viro
nmen
tal i
mpa
ct a
nd
incr
ease
d de
man
d fo
r re
sour
ces,
red
uced
qua
lity
of
life.
Hea
lth in
equa
litie
s co
uld
incr
ease
. Pa
st d
evel
opm
ent
tren
ds h
ave
not
prov
ided
af
ford
able
hou
sing
, and
urb
an
rege
nera
tion
with
in P
UA
s w
ould
be
hard
er t
o ac
hiev
e.
Cou
ld u
nder
min
e se
lf-co
ntai
nmen
t of
set
tlem
ents
. C
omm
unity
vib
ranc
y m
ay b
e lo
st.
Incr
ease
s in
tra
ffic
and
cong
estio
n lik
ely.
Less
inve
stm
ent,
few
er jo
b op
port
uniti
es, a
nd
poss
ible
und
erm
inin
g of
via
bilit
y of
ser
vice
s an
d fa
cilit
ies
in
mar
gina
l loc
atio
ns.
Thi
s co
uld
mea
n so
me
addi
tiona
l tr
affic
. In
crea
se in
ho
use
pric
es,
redu
cing
affo
rdab
le
hous
ing
deliv
ery.
Mor
e de
man
d fo
r re
sour
ces,
and
gre
ater
en
viro
nmen
tal i
mpa
cts.
Po
ssib
le le
akag
e of
w
ealth
if g
row
th le
ads
to g
reat
er d
epen
denc
y on
ext
erna
l tra
ding
ne
twor
ks.
Scal
e of
gr
owth
cou
ld c
hang
e ch
arac
ter
and
cohe
sion
of
som
e co
mm
uniti
es.
Like
ly t
o ge
nera
te
high
er v
olum
es o
f tr
affic
.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 15
The Growth Scenarios
A. Growth lower than planned for in RPG10 (c. 25% below current RPG10 Growth Rates i.e. 15,000 net new dwellings per annum).
B. Growth as planned for in RPG10 (20,000 net new dwellings per annum).
C. Growth higher than planned for in RPG10 (c. 25% above current RPG10 Growth Rates i.e. 25,000 net new dwellings per annum).
D. Growth substantially higher than planned for in RPG10 (c. 50% above current RPG10 Growth Rates i.e. 30,000 net new dwellings per annum).
2.16. For the purposes of the Growth Scenarios, it was decided that a comparative assessment should be undertaken using one assessment matrix, with Scenario A (low growth) at one end of a continuum and Scenario D (high growth) at the other. The relative performance against sustainability objectives could then be compared more easily.
2.17. The SSA of the Development Strategies was carried out using the SSA Framework developed during Stage 1. This comprises a series of questions to be asked of the RSS, under six broad ‘headline’ sustainability objectives, based primarily on the South West Regional Sustainable Development Framework – A Sustainable Future for the South West, 2001:
• Improve health.
• Support communities that meet people’s needs.
• Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs.
• Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to communities and the environment.
• Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets.
• Minimise consumption of natural resources.
2.18. A summary of the sustainability strengths and weaknesses (developed from the detailed appraisals against the SSA Framework) of the RSS Possible Development Strategies and Growth Scenarios is presented in Table 2.2.
STAGE 3 – SSA OF DRAFT RSS AND CONSULTATION ON SSA REPORT
SSA advice to the Joint Study Areas 2.19. In order to facilitate a consistent and timely input to the regional SSA from
the JSAs, it was proposed by the SWRA in September 2004 to review
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 16
progress on the SSAs in each JSA, the approaches being adopted and the compatibility with the regional approach to SSA and the outputs required. In addition to the SSA guidance provided to the JSAs in June 2004, the SSA team provided supplementary guidance15 on baseline data collection to the individual JSA contacts in October 2004 (reproduced in Appendix C2).
2.20. Meetings or telephone discussions between the SSA team and all the JSAs were held in October and November 2004. Aspects covered in the discussions included:
• Update of progress on the JSA, by way of context.
• Progress on the SSA of the JSA.
• The SSA approach being adopted.
• Any difficulties encountered / anticipated.
• Any additional support needed.
2.21. The SSA team provided a report to the SWRA of the key issues that were raised during meetings/conversations with the JSAs as part of the review of their SSAs. A meeting was then held in December 2004 with the JSA officers and the SSA team from the SWRA and Land Use Consultants (LUC), to examine some of the issues raised.
2.22. The SSA team recommended that the SWRA commission work to examine the JSA outputs, including the SSA work. The SWRA undertook this exercise in house, first in September 2005 and again in January 2006. The task involved reviewing the JSA outputs against the requirements in the SSA guidance provided to the JSAs, although this was mostly limited to checking that an SSA had been undertaken and that certain key tasks had been attempted. There was some consideration of the quality of the outputs but not how readily they could be compared between JSAs or assimilated into the regional SSA.
Ongoing SSA input to development of draft RSS 2.23. Since the production of the SSA Report for the RSS Possible Development
Strategies in August 2004, close working and communication between the SSA team and the SWRA continued. Either by email, reports for Meeting Papers, or attendance and presentation at SWRA meetings (RSPTG, POG, SSASG, Assembly), the SSA team has provided:
• SSA Reviews of SWRA’s sustainability appraisal of emerging thematic sections. The SWRA used the SSA Framework to appraise the emerging policies. The SSA provided comments on the findings of the SWRA appraisal, further comments on the sustainability of the policies, and recommendations for improving the policies and further appraisal work required for the final SSA Report.
15 Guidance on Core Baseline Data to Collect for Strategic Sustainability Assessments of JSA Work. Land Use Consultants and Collingwood Environmental Planning, October 2004.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 17
• Guidance to the SWRA on the consideration of ‘reasonable alternatives’ for the development of the Regional Transport Strategy. This came out of the SSA Review of the emerging transport section.
• SSA Commentaries of early draft versions of the RSS, setting out sustainability strengths and weaknesses and recommendations for improving the sustainability of draft RSS.
• Key questions about the development of the draft RSS, to understand the baseline considered, and try to answer or obtain evidence/information when attempting to predict and assess the likely sustainability effects of the draft RSS.
2.24. Specific SSA written outputs to SWRA and dates are listed in Table 2.3. Chapter 6 of this report sets out in more detail how all of the SSA inputs have influenced the development of the draft RSS.
Table 2.3 SSA input to draft RSS development
Date SSA Input Feb 2005 SSA Reviews of SWRA’s SA of emerging thematic policies
(Transport, Waste) Mar 2005 Guidance on Alternatives for the Regional Transport Strategy
May 2005 SSA Review of SWRA’s SA of emerging thematic policies (Energy)
Jun 2005 SSA Commentary on Strategy Document (Version 5.3)
Jul 2005 SSA Commentary on Strategy Document (Version 6.3)
Jul 2005 SSA Commentary on Sub-Regional Assessments
Sep 2005 Initial Comments on the Emerging RSS
Nov 2005 Summary of Initial SSA Findings of Emerging RSS
Dec 2005 Key Questions SSA is asking of the draft RSS
Jan 2006 Update of Initial SSA Findings of Emerging RSS
Feb 2006 Draft Final SSA Report for draft RSS (Version 2.3)
Mar 2006 Final SSA Report for final draft RSS (Version 4.1)
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 18
The approach to the SSA of the draft RSS 2.25. The SSA team has appraised the policies within the draft RSS against the SSA
Framework developed during Stage 1 (see Chapter 5 of this report) drawing on up-to-date baseline data wherever possible (see Chapters 3 and 4). These detailed appraisal matrices are set out in Appendix B, and the findings discussed in Chapters 7 to 16.
2.26. Section 2 and 9 of the draft RSS are the only sections that do not contain any policies. Section 2 sets the context for the RSS and includes statements emphasising the strategic approach that applies to the RSS. Therefore, an overview of the whole text was appraised in a matrix against the SSA Framework, and the findings are discussed in Chapter 8. Section 9 also contains a Statement of Priorities thus an overview of the whole text and statement was also appraised in a matrix. The findings are discussed in Chapter 15.
2.27. The first part of Section 4 of the draft RSS includes the Sub Regional Strategy Statements and specific policies for the SSCTs and associated towns subject to Development Policy B. SWRA drew on the JSA work undertaken by the Strategic Authorities when developing the Sub Regional Strategy Statements and policies. As discussed above, each of the JSAs were required to undertake SSA of their work. The SSA of Section 4 therefore draws on the JSA SSAs and is described in more detail in Chapter 10 of this report.
2.28. The second part of Section 4 of the draft RSS sets out the housing distribution to Housing Market Areas and Districts. The SSA has analysed the sustainability implications of these housing distributions, and the scale of change that will be experienced, in the second half of Chapter 10.
2.29. The challenges faced by the SSA team, assumptions made, and method for assessing significance is described in the following sections.
Difficulties encountered in compiling the required information
2.30. Sustainability appraisal is not a simple task. At the regional level, the task becomes even more challenging, as it is often necessary to understand the baseline situation and issues at a local level in order to make predictions about effects for the whole region, and therefore the scale of the task increases. For this reason, timing and resources available to undertake the SSA and influence the development of the draft RSS have been an ongoing challenge.
2.31. The SSA team has had to focus significant resources on producing numerous written and verbal commentaries and recommendations (usually to SWRA meetings) within tight draft RSS timeframes, than on final presentation of this SSA Report. For example, it would have been useful as part of the SSA to develop maps using GIS to illustrate baseline data or potential changes to areas, but this has not been possible within the resources available. The SSA team has had to rely on maps produced by the SWRA, many of which were not available until the final version of the draft RSS (e.g. the Sub Regional Spatial Strategy Inset Diagrams).
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2.32. The numerous iterations during development of the draft RSS have also proved challenging for the SSA. An almost complete appraisal of Version 2.3 of the draft RSS (27th January 2006) was carried out and SSA recommendations were reported to the SWRA in a Draft Final SSA Report (17th February 2006). Since preparation of that report, there were three further iterations of the draft RSS:
• The first iteration was Version 3.1 presented to RSPTG on 22nd February 2006.
• The second iteration, Version 3.2, was sent to Assembly Members on 1st March 2006.
• The final iteration, Version 4.1 was published on 15th March 2006 to take into account Members’ comments.
2.33. Many of the changes made to draft RSS policies between these versions of the draft RSS were quite significant, and commendably, a number of them were made to address SSA recommendations contained in the Draft Final SSA Report. The challenge for this Final SSA Report has been how to record the influence of the SSA recommendations on the draft RSS (discussed further in Chapter 6 of this report) but also present an appraisal of the policies as they now appear in the final version of the draft RSS in a very short timeframe. The detailed appraisal matrices in Appendix B have been updated to reflect the final version of the policies (including the inclusion of some new policy appraisals). The date appraisals were undertaken and the draft RSS Version number have been recorded in all of the matrices. The discussion of SSA findings in Chapters 7 to 16 include reference to earlier SSA recommendations that have now been included in the draft RSS, and also any SSA recommendations still outstanding.
2.34. There have been a number of uncertainties throughout the SSA process, but particularly during the appraisal of the policies within the draft RSS:
• The dwellings distributions by Housing Market Area, District and Strategically Significant Cities and Towns, were the subject of numerous iterations, with the final total and distribution agreed very late in the process.
• SWRA were unable to provide job data to the geographical equivalent of the dwellings data, which meant that it was difficult to carry out the assessment of the extent to which the draft RSS actually achieves its aim of closer realignment of jobs and homes.
• There was a lack of quantified data in key areas, most notably with respect to the transport implications of the draft RSS. As there was no transport model on a regional scale, it has been difficult to determine with confidence the impact of the draft RSS on journey patterns and traffic volumes.
• Since many of the effects of the draft RSS will be at the local scale (e.g. with respect to landscape and biodiversity), it has not been possible to
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 20
assess with certainty whether the effects are likely to be positive or negative, despite policies in the draft RSS that aim to protect and enhance the environment (in many instances this will need to be examined further in the preparation of Local Development Documents).
2.35. The quality of the JSA SSA work varied significantly, with some following the guidance closely, others who did limited work on their SSAs, and some none at all. The assimilation of the JSA SSA work into the regional SSA has therefore been a major challenge in the SSA of the draft RSS. As this underpins the appraisal of the Sub Regional Strategy Statements and policies in Section 4 of the draft RSS, it affects how much reliance can be placed on the SSA findings of the Sub Regional Strategy Statements. In addition, the presentation, and in some instances content, of the Sub Regional Strategy Statements changed significantly late in the preparation of the draft RSS, which entailed a reworking of the SSA over a very short time period.
2.36. In December 2005, in order to try and resolve some of the uncertainties within the SSA findings, the SSA team sent a note to the SWRA, setting out the key questions that the team was seeking to answer or obtain evidence/ information about when attempting to predict and assess the likely sustainability effects of the draft RSS. The note requested SWRA officers’ help with identifying the relevant technical studies, data analysis and baseline information which they had used to develop the draft RSS and that would help to answer the following key questions:
• How have employment numbers been taken into account when deciding on the distributions and level of housing provision?
o Are there proposals for new housing in areas that will meet existing imbalances of jobs over homes (i.e. where there are too many jobs and not enough homes)?
o Are there proposals for new housing in areas where there is an excess of homes already?
o Where is housing proposed to match future jobs to be created 2006-2026?
o Alternatives to consider:
a) Where is the market likely to deliver jobs?
b) Where will planning intervention (RSS/RES/Objective 1) create jobs?
• How does the distribution and level of housing relate to urban capacity, and are there any implications for the delivery of non-residential development?
• How does the distribution and level of housing relate to the form and function of settlements?
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• How does the distribution and level of housing provision reflect the actual housing need?
• How have all of the likely effects of the distribution and level of development on traffic and transport been evaluated?
• How have environmental limits been taken into account when deciding on the distributions and level of development?
2.37. In response to the above questions, the SWRA provided a large number of technical reports, papers and correspondence. These helped the SSA team to understand better the basis of the preferred spatial strategy, but did not resolve all issues identified.
Judgements and assumptions
2.38. Throughout the SSA process, judgements of effects have had to be made. In carrying out the SSA reference was constantly made to baseline information, and evidence provided by SWRA and its partners. The SSA Steering Group also provided information and proved a useful sounding board to test findings. Sometimes judgements had to be made on the basis of professional experience. In all instances the reasons for judgements have been recorded.
2.39. The SSA has been undertaken on the basis of the likely effects of implementation of the draft RSS, rather than what the draft RSS aspires to achieve. This is important, since the RSS could in theory include a complete set of policies that score positively in sustainability terms throughout, but in practice would be impossible to implement.
2.40. Judgements have therefore been made on the basis of:
• The current sustainability issues and trends facing the region.
• The likely influence of the draft RSS on these trends compared to other factors (e.g. Government policy and funding priorities, market forces, other regional strategies, plans and programmes).
• The powers and mechanisms available to the planning system to achieve what the draft RSS aims to achieve.
Defining significance of effects
2.41. One of the key aspects of SSA is to determine whether the effects of implementation of the RSS on sustainability objectives are likely to be significant. In order to determine whether the effect is significant or not, a number of issues were taken into account, such as:
• Whether the effect is likely to be permanent or temporary.
• The likelihood of the effect occurring.
• The scale of the effect (e.g. whether it will affect one location or a wide area).
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• Whether it will combine with the effects of other policies and proposals to generate a cumulative effect greater than the effect of each individual policy or proposal.
• Whether there are policies elsewhere in the draft RSS, or at a national level, that will help to mitigate adverse effects occurring or support positive effects.
• The current status and trends in the environmental, social and economic baseline or characteristics of the area affected.
• Whether it is likely to affect particularly sensitive locations (e.g. landscapes, communities, habitats, historic buildings, etc., particularly those that are designated at the international or national level) or mean that thresholds might be breached (e.g. air quality standards).
2.42. To distinguish between types of effect, symbols have been used:
Table 2.4: Symbols used in the SSA for recording the significance of effects
Symbol Definition
++ Significant positive effect
+ Positive effect
0 No or neutral effect
- Negative effect
-- Significant negative effect
? Uncertain effect
2.43. Where effects of implementing the draft RSS were identified, a judgement of the likelihood of the effect occurring has been provided. This is recorded through the use of terms such as: certain; probable; likely; possible; unlikely. In many instances, it is difficult to be more precise.
2.44. In addition, where possible, a record has been made of whether the effects are likely to be temporary or permanent, direct or indirect. Short-term effects are likely to arise during the early years of the draft RSS, medium effects during the latter years, and long-term effects towards the end of the draft RSS and beyond. In many instances, it was difficult to be precise about when the effects are likely to occur, so where these terms have been used they should be treated with caution.
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3. REVIEW OF OTHER PLANS AND PROGRAMMES AND BASELINE INFORMATION
REVIEW OF OTHER STRATEGIES, PLANS AND PROGRAMMES RELEVANT TO THE SOUTH WEST
3.1. The SEA Directive (Annex 1 e) requires ‘the relationship (of the draft RSS) with other plans and programmes’ and ‘the environmental protection objectives established at the international, EC or national level, which are relevant to the plan…and the way those objectives and any environmental considerations have been taken into account during its preparation’ to be set out.
3.2. A review of the strategies, plans and programmes relevant to the draft RSS was undertaken as part of the SSA and is set out in Table A2.1 in Appendix A2. All of the documents reviewed are listed in a contents list at the beginning of Appendix A2.
3.3. Key environmental protection objectives established at the EC level relevant to the RSS include those contained in the Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds (The Birds Directive, 79/409/EEC) and the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and Wild Flora and Fauna (The Habitats Directive, 92/42/EEC), which together establish a legislative framework for protecting and conserving Europe’s wildlife and habitats. The Directives implement in Community law the international requirements of the Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species and the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.
3.4. However, the review of environmental protection objectives goes beyond those specifically mentioned in the SEA Directive, to include other international objectives for environmental protection (e.g. Kyoto Protocol to the UN Convention on Climate Change, 1992), other EU Directives (e.g. Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC), national environmental objectives (e.g. Planning Policy Statement 9 Nature Conservation), and regional environmental policy objectives (e.g. Our Environment Our Future – The Regional Strategy for the South West Environment 2004 – 2014).
3.5. The review also includes social and economic strategies, plans and programmes at the national and regional level that were considered to be relevant to the RSS.
3.6. One of the documents reviewed, the Regional Sustainable Development Framework16 provided the primary reference point for developing the SSA Framework (see Chapter 5). In addition, the information generated during the review of relevant plans and programmes was cross-checked against the SSA Framework (see 5th column in Table 5.1), and has been used as a
16 A Sustainable Future for the South West - The Regional Sustainable Development Framework for the South West of England. South West Regional Assembly, 2001.
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reference point during the SSA. However, it cannot necessarily be assumed that all other strategies, plans and programmes, will move the South West in a more sustainable direction, since very few have been subject to SA to test their compatibility with sustainability objectives. The SSA Framework therefore identifies which other strategies, plans and programmes are relevant to the SSA objective, for future reference.
REVIEW OF BASELINE INFORMATION 3.7. The purpose of the review of baseline information is to provide the basis for
prediction and monitoring of the likely effects of the draft RSS – i.e. the reference point for each of the objectives and detailed questions in the SSA Framework (see Chapter 5). The Revised Scoping Report (September 2004) provided a description of the preliminary baseline information gathered under each of the high level objectives and detailed questions. It also suggested potential sources of information and indicators that have been ranked in order of importance for use in the SSA. Obvious gaps in available data where known were highlighted. This table is reproduced in Appendix A3.
3.8. The earlier review of baseline information helped to identify key sustainability issues, the current situation, and trends (i.e. whether the situation is getting better or worse, and/or whether it is near any known thresholds). In this way, it provided the background for the economic, environmental and social ‘character’ or condition of the region described in Chapter 4, which meets the requirement under Annex 1(b), (c) and (d) of the SEA Directive to describe: “the relevant aspects of the current state of the environment and the likely evolution thereof without implementation of the plan or programme; the environmental characteristics of areas likely to be significantly affected; any existing environmental problems which are relevant to the plan or programme, in particular those relating to any areas of a particular environmental importance”.
3.9. Since the work done in SSA Stages 1 and 2, other sources of baseline data have proved useful, particularly the technical reports of research commissioned by SWRA or other bodies (e.g. the South West Regional Development Agency, SWRDA) that have informed the draft RSS. Rather than update the previous table of baseline information, Chapter 4 has been updated in this Final SSA Report to reflect key new baseline information, and specific data and reports have been referenced throughout the appraisal matrices and findings of the SSA in Chapters 7 to 16.
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4. THE CHARACTER AND SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES OF THE SOUTH WEST
4.1. The review of baseline information, plans and programmes, and consultation with stakeholders during the early stages of work on the SSA, highlighted a number of key characteristics of the South West that set the context for the draft RSS and the SSA. Objectives from relevant plans and programmes dealing with some of these sustainability issues have been included in this section, as well as existing national and regional indicators. The indicators help to present a picture of the baseline situation in the South West, against which to assess potential effects of the RSS possible development strategies, detailed policies and proposals. Boxes at the end of each sub-section set out the relevant SSA High Level Objective(s) linked to the sustainability issue discussed. Much of the information in this section has been taken from the State of the South West 200417, published by the South West Observatory. However, other technical studies and reports have been referred to where relevant.
4.2. The South West region had just under 5 million residents in mid-2002, which is one of the smallest regional populations in England; however, its land area is large. Consequently, it is the least densely populated region overall, although densities vary considerable across the region, see Figure 4.1.
Figure 4.1 Population density by ward: April 2001, persons per square kilometre (from State of the South West 2004)
17 State of the South West 2004. South West Observatory, 2004.
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A DIVERSE REGION 4.3. The character of the region is very diverse and in particular changes markedly from
east to west. However, there are many subtleties of differences that are not usually captured in the baseline data sources. For example, a report for SWRA18 shows that while rural/urban regional differentiation is relatively common, this is usually used to present a picture of the ‘rural South West’. Yet there is clearly no single rural South West in a functional sense. Nor do rural areas in the region stand apart from urban areas – there are interconnections. In recognition of this diversity, the SWRA commissioned a study into the functional analysis of settlements within the region19, in order to better reflect local diversity and variation in the role, function and economic potential of settlements other than the Principal Urban Areas (defined in RPG 10) in the development of the draft RSS.
North and south-east parts of the region 4.4. The north and south-east parts of the region are heavily influenced by, and share
many similarities with, London and the South East. Here, economic productivity and skills levels are relatively high, there is a strong knowledge sector, and several large urban areas. These parts of the region are relatively well connected to other parts of England and continental Europe by land and sea. They are also becoming increasingly urbanised, leading to ever more pressure on resources and infrastructure.
Peninsula part of the region 4.5. The western part of the region, on the other hand, is relatively remote in line with its
peninsula geography, has few cities, with large expanses of countryside, smaller market towns and villages, areas of ‘wildness’ and tranquillity (e.g. Dartmoor and Exmoor), and a long coastline. It is remote from the main economic markets of the UK, and in general has relatively low productivity and skills levels.
CHARACTERISTICS AND ISSUES 4.6. The principal cities and towns in the region are Bristol, Swindon, Plymouth, Exeter,
Bournemouth, Poole, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Taunton, Torbay, Camborne and Redruth. In addition, there are over 200 smaller towns, which act as economic and service delivery hubs for their surrounding rural areas, some of which are known colloquially as ‘market towns’.
4.7. The State of the Countryside report for the South West20 describes the new set of urban and rural definitions that the Countryside Agency developed in collaboration with four other government organisations. The new definition has been produced for England and Wales based on hectare grid squares, using address information and ODPM’s defined settlement polygons. There are two measurement criteria that make up the new definitions of urban and rural areas:
18 Better planning of rural areas in the South West. Prepared for the South West Regional Assembly by Land Use Consultants, July 2004. 19 Functional Analysis of Settlements. Final Report. Prepared for the South West Regional Assembly by Roger Tym & Partners in association with Land Use Consultants, April 2005. 20 The state of the countryside 2004 – the South West. Countryside Agency, January 2005.
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• Settlement Form – each hectare grid square is associated with a particular settlement type: dispersed dwellings, hamlet, village, small town, urban fringe and urban (>10k population).
• Sparsity – each hectare grid square is given a sparsity score based on the number of households in surrounding hectare squares up to a distance of 30 km.
4.8. The new rural and urban definitions classify Output Areas and Wards by aggregating the underlying hectare grid squares for the measures of settlement type and sparsity. Up to 8 classes of Output Areas could be distinguished; four settlement types (urban, town and fringe, village, and hamlet and dispersed) in either a sparse or non-sparse local setting. As a result of the higher aggregation level for wards, the settlement classification of wards must be condensed to only three measures; urban, town and fringe, and other (more dispersed settlements) while the sparse/non-sparse measure is retained.
4.9. Under the new definitions, the State of the Countryside Report states that 66% of the South West region’s population live in urban settlements, 13.9% in town and fringe settlements, 13.8% in villages and the remaining 6.4% in hamlets and isolated dwellings.
High population growth and in-migration 4.10. The South West is generally seen as a high quality place to live, which has led to it
experiencing high levels of population growth and in-migration – it is the fastest growing region in terms of residents in the UK. The regional population grew by 12.6% between 1982 and 2002, compared to an average growth of 5.9%21. A further half a million people are expected to live in the region by 2015.
4.11. The age structure of the region is being altered by those coming to settle, with a large number of retired and middle aged people arriving that has led to the South West having the oldest population of any region.
Key indicators
• State of the South West (SofSW) 2004 – The number of people living in the South West increased steadily between mid-1981 and mid-2002, with most of the increase occurring in rural, rather than urban areas.
• SofSW 2004 – The South West was the only region in England to grow solely due to migration between mid-1992 and mid-2002.
Spatial differences
• Over half (54%) of South West’s population lives in a rural area (SofSW 2004), but 66% work in the urban areas (SWRA22, 2003)
21 ONS data – Regional Trends 38 (RT381401) 22 Trends and Challenges for the South West – Key Issues for the Future of the Region. South West Regional Assembly, November 2003.
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• The fastest growing areas from mid-1981 to mid-2002 were North Dorset, Teignbridge and North Cornwall. South Gloucestershire recorded the fourth largest absolute increase in population of all the local authority areas in England (1981-2002) and along with Poole and Bournemouth, is projected to be the fastest growing area within the region (SofSW 2004).
• The City of Bristol and Plymouth were the only areas within the region to lose population (SofSW 2004).
Likely evolution without implementation of the draft RSS
• Based on past trends, the SofSW 2004 states that South West is likely to continue to experience fast rates of population growth, attributable mainly to inward migration from the South East and London. It is estimated that the total regional population will increase by 5.4% between 2000 and 2010.
• The population in rural areas is likely to continue to increase, with rural areas becoming more urbanised.
• The Office of National Statistics (ONS) expects the trend of an ageing population structure to continue nationally until at least 2021, and in the South West, the already aged population is expected to see a significant increase in the proportion of residents over retirement age.
The issue of High Population Growth and In-Migration is linked to SSA High Level Objective:
2: Support communities that meet people’s needs.
A diverse economy 4.12. As with other aspects of the region, the economic performance of the South West is
diverse but, overall, it experiences high levels of employment growth with a strong labour market. However this is characterised by low wage and low skill jobs. Higher value added jobs and wages tend to be found in the north and east of the region, with higher levels of unemployment in the west.
4.13. The SW Regional Economic Strategy23 (RES) has been updated, and a separate ‘Evidence Base’24 document was produced in February 2006. This has been referred to during the SSA of the draft RSS. The RES Evidence Base notes that:
• The South West’s share of UK GVA has been rising, from 7.6% in the early 1990s to 7.8% in 2004, although growth in share has levelled off since 2002.
23 Regional Economic Strategy for the South West of England 2006-2015. Draft for Consultation. South West Regional Development Agency, September 2005. 24 Regional Economic Strategy for the South West of England 2006-2015. Evidence Base. South West Regional Development Agency, February 2006.
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• The South West’s relative productivity performance within the UK has improved over the last decade but remains below the UK average. Only London, and the South East are consistently above average.
• The fastest real growth in economic sectors in the South West (those over 4.5% per annum) is seen in business services, other services, education, and hotels and catering. The sectors thought to face real declines are in the production sectors of mining and quarrying, agriculture, fishing and forestry, and manufacturing.
• The total regional employment growth rate for all sectors was +1.5% for 1997-2003.
4.14. The RES vision now states: ‘The South West of England will have an economy where the aspirations and skills of our people combine with the quality of our physical environment to provide a high quality of life and sustainable prosperity for everyone’. It sets out three Strategic Objectives to achieve this vision:
• RES Strategic Objective 1 – Successful and Competitive Businesses. The RES describes the first strategic objective as ‘to create the conditions that will enable the region’s businesses to be more successful by increasing their productivity’.
• RES Strategic Objective 2 – Strong and Inclusive Communities. This strategic objective is described as being ‘about ensuring that all people can participate in, and benefit from, the growing economy’.
• RES Strategic Objective 3 – An Effective and Confident Region. The RES describes successful regions as those that have ‘a clear and well articulated image and purpose, strong leadership and effective partnerships and networks to make things happen. They have effective transport and communications networks; they nurture and promote the assets of the region and they successfully lobby and influence at national and international levels’.
4.15. The SW Framework For Regional Employment and Skills Action25 (FRESA) was developed within the context of the Regional Economic Strategy. The SW FRESA sets out a vision for the future of the labour market in the region and identifies a set of strategic objectives and actions required to realise that vision and complement the strategic objectives in the RES. The strategic objectives in the FRESA are:
• FRESA Strategic Objective 1 – Engaging Employers: To increase employers’ participation in skills development in the SW.
• FRESA Strategic Objective 2 – Inspiring Individuals: To raise individuals’ aspirations and skills for working in the SW.
• FRESA Strategic Objective 3 – Working for a Natural Balance: To develop the efficient and inclusive working of the SW labour market.
25 The South West Framework for Regional Employment and Skills Action. Revised Action Plan. The South West Regional Employment Forum, November 2003.
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Key indicators
• National Sustainable Development Indicator for Employment (SW Regional Data)26 – 78.9% of working age people in the South West were in work in 2005, the second highest employment rate in English regions. (The England average was 75%).
• SofSW 2004 – Approximately 47,900 SW residents (1.6%) were claiming unemployment related benefits during March 2004, (the England rate is 2.5%) and typically SW residents experience shorter spells of unemployment.
• SofSW 2004 – Total household income per person in the SW (£15,323) was slightly below that for England as a whole (£15,948) but was substantially above that for England excluding London and the South East (£14,270).
Spatial differences
• Self-employment is particularly high in rural areas of the far SW (e.g. Cornwall, Torbay and Devon) and lower in the larger urban areas (especially in Plymouth and the City of Bristol) (SofSW 2004).
• There is a higher percentage of managerial and professional employment in the north and east of region, with a lower percentage in the south and west (SofSW 2004).
• The highest rates of long-term unemployment within the SW are in Torbay, Torridge, North Cornwall and Gloucester (SofSW 2004).
• There is a large variation in personal incomes across the region, from 71% to 122% of the national benchmark. Incomes are 75% or less of the national benchmark in Torbay, Kerrier, North Cornwall, North Devon and Torridge (Inland Revenue27).
Likely evolution without implementation of the draft RSS
• The SofSW 2004 states that output per person is falling relative to the national figure, due to low levels of productivity in the more rural and peripheral parts of the region, and the ageing of the population is likely to perpetuate this trend.
• Variations in economic output, employment levels and personal incomes between the urban and rural areas are likely to continue.
The issue of a Diverse Economy is linked to SSA High Level Objective:
4: Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs.
26 From the new suite of 68 national sustainable development indicators, which support the four ‘priority areas for action’ in the updated UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy, Securing the future (March 2005). Data for these indicators are collected and reported on annually at: www.sustainable-development.gov.uk. Regional versions of the national indicators were published on this website on 13 December 2005 and have been used in this chapter for the South West SSA. 27 Mean total income of taxpayer by LA area, £/year. Inland Revenue, 2001/02.
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Deprivation 4.16. Overall, the South West has a lower proportion of its residents living in deprived
areas than the England average. However, there are pockets of deprivation throughout the region often concentrated in certain wards in urban areas, but also including ‘hidden’ rural locations. Deprivation is particularly concentrated among low-income households, with some evidence suggesting that older people, women, people from black and minority ethnic communities, and disabled people experience social exclusion. More deprived communities are less likely to enjoy good health, afford suitable housing, and have access to a range of services.
4.17. The South West section of the Government’s Sustainable Communities Plan28 sets out four strategic challenges for the region, one of which is “Renewing communities and reducing inequalities”, and presents proposals for implementing the Communities Plan in the South West. The Government Office for the South West is working with regional and local partners to build on the proposals, link them with relevant programmes, and implement the policies.
4.18. The challenges set out in the South West section for renewing communities and reducing inequalities are:
• To reduce the gap in the economic fortunes of different parts of the region. The north and east of the region enjoy a diverse economic structure, a better qualified workforce and GDP per head above the national average, while the more rural west of the region has low income, lower qualification levels and includes some of the poorest parts of the UK.
• To ensure the continued viability of rural communities, and to strengthen market towns to serve as economic and service hubs for their surrounding rural areas.
• To close the gap between better off and deprived areas so that no one is disadvantaged by virtue of where they live. While the South West overall is not one of the most deprived regions, it does contain four of the 88 most deprived districts in England - Bristol, Plymouth, Penwith and Kerrier. Deprivation is concentrated in urban centres, declining Victorian seaside resorts and rural areas where pockets of deprivation can be small, highly dispersed and difficult to identify.
• To reduce crime and the fear of crime. People should be able to go about their daily lives in the knowledge that they will be safe.
• To reduce health inequalities within the region. Although the overall health status of the South West is good, this masks substantial health problems at a local level.
• To ensure that people feel fully engaged in the renewal of their communities and to equip them with the know-how to contribute effectively.
• To ensure the South West is a region where diversity is valued and celebrated.
28 Sustainable communities: Building for the future. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2003.
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4.19. The South West Regional Housing Strategy29 has a Mission ‘to work in partnership to ensure that everyone has access to a good quality home within a sustainable and inclusive community’. The strategy sets out a delivery framework to meet its three Strategic Aims:
• RHS Aim 1 – Improving the balance of housing markets. To develop housing markets with a range of tenures, which improve the balance between supply and demand, and offer everyone the opportunity to access a home at a price they can afford.
• RHS Aim 2 – Achieving good quality homes. To ensure that existing and new homes improve over minimum standards of quality, management and design.
• RHS Aim 3 – Supporting sustainable communities. To ensure that housing makes a full contribution to the achievement of sustainable and inclusive communities.
4.20. The Association of Higher Education Institutes in the SW (HERDA) Strategic Plan30 contains a vision ‘to be an effective and proactive association of Universities and Colleges which work together and individually to make a significant contribution to the academic, economic, social and cultural development of the South West’. The Plan sets objectives to achieve in five areas of work: Teaching and Learning; Research; Widening Participation; Knowledge Transfer; and Organisational Development.
Key indicators
• National Sustainable Development Indicators for Poverty (SW Regional Data) –
• The South West had the third lowest proportion of working age people in workless households (8.3 per cent, national average 11.6 per cent) and lowest proportion of children living in such households (9.8 per cent, national average 15.9 per cent).
• The proportion of working age people in workless households in the South West decreased by 2.9 percentage points between 1992 and 2005, whilst the proportion of children living in workless households decreased by 4.4 percentage points over the same period.
• Fuel poverty levels for the SW have fallen from 12.1% of households experiencing fuel poverty in 2001 to 7.0% in 2003 (England average was 11.5% and 7.2% respectively for the same years).
• SofSW 2004 – The South West has a significantly lower proportion of its population (3%) living in deprived Super Output Areas (SOAs)31 than the England average (10%).
29 South West Regional Housing Strategy 2005-2016. South West Regional Housing Body, 2005. 30 HERDA-SW Strategic Plan August 2003 – July 2006. The Association of Higher Education Institutions in the South West. 31 Super Output Areas (SOAs) were designed to improve the reporting of small area statistics. SOAs are areas of consistent size and whose boundaries do not change, built from groups of 2001 Census Output Areas. The Index of Multiple Deprivation is an area-based measure of deprivation in terms of income, employment, health,
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 33
• National Sustainable Development Indicator for Housing (SW Regional Data) – 33.9% of dwellings failed to meet the ‘Decent Homes’ standard in 2001 (England average was 33.1%).
• SofSW 2004 – The rate at which additional dwellings are being completed in the SW has not met the housing targets outlined in RPG10, with a shortfall of approximately 4,600 dwellings over the plan period so far. Only 10% of the new homes are for social housing and the proportion in new homes is generally falling. Similarly, the trend in affordable housing completions is decreasing and access to affordable housing is more difficult in the SW than any other region except London.
• National Sustainable Development Indicator for Education (SW Regional Data) – Almost 77% of 19-21 year-olds in the South West were qualified to Level 2 or above (e.g. five GCSEs at grades C or above, NVQ level 2 or equivalent) in Spring 2005, down from around 78% in 1997, higher than the England average of 74%.
• SofSW 2004 – The SW generally performs well in school provision and education attainment levels in comparison to other English regions and national averages. However, the averages mask large geographical variations that are linked to economic and socio-economic disparities.
• National Sustainable Development Indicator for Health (SW Regional Data) – Between 1991-3 and 2002-4 male life expectancy increased by 2.9 years to 77.8 years (England average 76.6 years) and life expectancy for females increased by 1.7 years to 82.0 years (England average 80.9 years).
• SofSW 2004 – There is a strong correlation between inequalities in health and inequalities in income in the region, with health related behaviour and lifestyle such as smoking, teenage pregnancy and poor diet generally higher in lower socio-economic classes.
Spatial differences
• Most people who live in a deprived SOA in the SW live in an urban area. Bristol has 41 of the 98 most-deprived SOAs in the region, Plymouth has 19, Swindon 7, Weston-super-Mare 6, Bournemouth 4, and Gloucester 4. These deprived urban SOAs contain about 2.7% of the region’s population. Ten of the 98 most-deprived SOAs in the region are in the generally rural districts of Kerrier (4), North Devon (2), Penwith, Restormel, Sedgemoor and Taunton Deane, although they occur within towns in these districts (SofSW 2004).
• Deprivation exists in inner cities, especially the largest urban centres, which show poor health, poor incomes, housing and employment. Many rural areas show deprivation in distance from services, but rural deprivation as a whole is most
education, barriers to services and housing, crime and environment. It uses 37 indicators to describe separate ‘domains’ of deprivation and then ranks Super Output Areas according to their scores for the individual domains as well as bringing together all of the domains to produce a single, composite index of multiple deprivation for the SOA. There are 32,482 SOAs in England. The SW has 98 SOAs that rank within the most deprived 10% in England according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 34
pronounced in the west of the region, where incomes and employment are also lower (SofSW 2004).
• The level of attainment of 5 or more A* to C grades at GCSE decreases in the SW region from north east to south west (SofSW 2004). However there are considerable variations in the adult qualification profile and the level of adult participation in learning, with lower % attainment in Plymouth but higher participation, and lower % attainment and lower participation in Torbay, Bournemouth and Poole than surrounding local authorities (SofSW 2004).
• There is also a general trend of decreasing health from north east to south west in the region (SofSW 2004).
Likely evolution without implementation of the draft RSS
• Trends in the SofSW 2004 suggest that the inequalities in health correlated with socio-economic deprivation are widening, however, life expectancy for males and females is increasing.
• The South West’s relatively low overall level of deprivation is likely to continue, however, the pockets of deprivation in rural areas in the west of the region, and inner city urban areas may increase.
• The level of school education attainment is high overall in the SW, and the National headline indicators for the SW show that it is increasing slightly.
The issue of Deprivation is linked to SSA High Level Objectives:
1: Improve health.
2: Support communities that meet people’s needs.
3: Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs.
4: Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to communities and the environment.
A diverse man-made and natural environment 4.21. The region has a rich and diverse man-made and natural environment. Sixty percent
of the nation’s protected coastline is in the South West. It has one third of the land nationally designated for its landscape quality. Its historic environment is unrivalled in England, ranging from the World Heritage Sites of Stonehenge and Bath, to the relict industrial landscapes of Cornwall. This rich environment is not only important for quality of life; it also provides recreational, cultural and educational opportunities that attract a large number of visitors to the region.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 35
4.22. The South West Regional Environment Strategy32 and SofSW 2004 provide detail of the following environmental assets in the region:
• 7% of the region is designated as nationally or internationally important wildlife sites.
• There are 46 National Nature Reserves and 79 Local Nature Reserves, many of which are located in urban areas.
• Almost a fifth of England’s Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are in the SW.
• The SW supports around 25 species that are globally important, over 700 species that are of national conservation concern, and 34 species endemic to the UK, 11 of which are only found in the South West.
• There are two National Parks wholly within the SW, Dartmoor and Exmoor, covering around 7% of the region. The western part of the New Forest National Park is also in the South West.
• The SW has 12 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and parts of two others, which extend to 30% of the region. This is twice the proportion covered by AONBs in England as a whole.
• Three of England’s 15 World Heritage Sites are in the South West: Stonehenge and Avebury, the City of Bath and the Jurassic Coast.
• The SW has 638 km of designated Heritage Coast, which accounts for 61.3% of the total Heritage Coast in England and also includes the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
• Although the region accounts for just over 18% of the total land area of England it has 36% (6,903) of the country’s scheduled ancient monuments, 24% (88,865) of the listed buildings and 17% (1,509) of all conservation areas.
4.23. However, the South West Regional Environment Strategy recognises that the environment in the South West is also under pressure. This is reflected for example, in the loss of habitats and green spaces, declines in wildlife, in the damage to landscapes and historic sites, increasing demands for natural resources such as water and energy, and poor local environmental quality such as graffiti, litter, and loss of tranquillity.
4.24. The SW Regional Environment Strategy has a vision for a region where people benefit from an excellent environment to live and work in, now and for the future. This will contribute to the wider vision for the South West, as set out in the Regional Sustainable Development Framework. The Regional Environment Strategy’s main aims for pursuing that vision are set out under headings covering the principal environmental assets:
32 Our Environment: Our Future The Regional Strategy for the South West Environment. South West Regional Assembly, 2004.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 36
Landscape and historic environment
• Conserve and enhance the landscape and historic environment as assets for everyone to value and enjoy.
• Safeguard and manage the elements of the environment that underpin local distinctiveness.
Natural resources
• Use natural resources efficiently and wisely.
• Manage waste better, by minimising the amount of waste produced.
• Protect and improve the quality of our air, soils and water.
• Develop a low carbon economy.
Nature conservation
• Protect and enhance biodiversity and geological features across urban, rural, coastal and marine environments.
• Maintain and restore ecosystems so that they function in a way that will support the region’s wildlife.
• Sensitively manage existing habitats.
• Increase the area of existing habitats and reestablish links between fragmented sites.
People and their environment
• Improve the quality of people’s living environments.
• Manage flood risk to land and property.
• Improve sustainable access for everyone to a thriving and enhanced environment.
• Increase people’s sense of responsibility towards the environment through greater understanding and enjoyment of it.
4.25. The Regional Environment Strategy analyses the key environmental assets in the region and the pressures operating on them, and identifies six key issues with objectives for the environment of the SW: Food, Farming & Forestry, Tourism & Leisure, Spatial Planning, Transport, Climate Change and Wise Use of Natural Resources. For each objective, the Strategy lists regional priorities and targets, with indicators for measuring their achievement.
Key indicators
• National Sustainable Development Indicator for Bird Populations (SW Regional Data) –
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 37
• Woodland bird populations in the South West fell by 15% between 1994 and 1995 and in 2003 were 10% below 1994 levels.
• The region's farmland bird populations have fluctuated since 1994 but in 2003 were 6% below 1994 levels.
• Of the 29 species of woodland bird monitored in the region, 41% increased between 1994 and 2003, whereas 31% declined and 28% showed little change
• Of the 19 farmland bird species monitored in the region, 44% increased, 37% declined and 19% remained fairly stable.
• SofSW 2004 – The condition of SSSIs has improved significantly in recent years, with over half in favourable condition, compared to 44% in 2002. The proportion in unfavourable condition has fallen to under a quarter.
• English Nature33 – 1% of SSSIs are in unfavourable condition as a result of construction and development issues.
• SofSW 2004 – The number of whale, dolphin and porpoise strandings in Cornwall and Devon has increased since 1970, due to being caught in fishing nets.
• Countryside Quality Counts National Indicator of Change34 - Between 1990 and 1998 32% of the South West’s landscapes underwent "marked change inconsistent with their character" and 26% underwent "some change inconsistent with their character". The remaining 42% of the South West’s landscapes show some change which was consistent with their character or no change at all. Change is measured in terms of those features that make the landscape distinct and therefore most valued. The indicator comprises an assessment of key landscape features such as woodland pattern, agriculture, boundary features and settlement and development features.
• English Heritage35 – There has been an increasing pressure in the SW to develop on the protected historic environment, shown by an increase in the number of applications to undertake works that will impact on scheduled ancient monument sites (11% increase in number of applications in 2002/03 compared to previous year). Nearly 2% of archaeological sites were in imminent danger of damage and decay in 2003, 13% of monuments in the SW were lost since 1945, and over 2% of Grade I and II* buildings are at risk.
• National Sustainable Development Indicator for River Quality (SW Regional Data) –
33 SSSIs Reports and Statistics. www.english-nature.org.uk 34 www.countryside-quality-counts.org.uk. This is now an archive of the website for the reporting period 1990-1998. It is not being updated. The results of the next round of consultation on the Countryside Quality Counts project, including an updated indicator of change for the period 1998 to 2003, will be made available towards the end of 2006 on the new website: http://www.cqc.org.uk/. 35 Heritage Counts 2003, English Heritage.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 38
• 88% of the total river lengths in the South West were of good biological quality (England average 70%) in 2004 and 78% were of good chemical quality (England average 62%).
• The South West was ranked first of the regions in terms of biological water quality, and second for chemical water quality.
• The total river lengths classed as having good biological quality in the South West increased by 7 percentage points between 1990 and 2004, and lengths with good chemical water quality increased by 16 percentage points.
• SofSW 2004 – Confirms that water quality in rivers and coastal waters is generally excellent in the region - the Environment Agency has found significant improvements in the biological and chemical quality of its rivers since 1990. This is largely due to a reduction in the impact of individual sewage treatment works and industry discharges, rigorous enforcement of discharge consents and more focus on pollution prevention.
• SofSW 2004 – Poor soil structure is evident in the SW, particularly on the sandy and silty soils in Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, and combined with the region’s high rainfall and steep slopes results in increasing problems with water pollution and runoff.
• Woodland cover has increased from just over 5% of the region in 1900 to 9% in 2000. The SW contains 20% of England’s ancient woodland resource.
Spatial differences
• The SW Biodiversity Implementation Plan recognises that biodiversity is widespread in the SW, and there is a lot of detailed information available about designated sites, non-statutory sites, species and habitats. The SW Regional Biodiversity Partnership (SWRBP) has developed a strategic regional Nature Map (see Figure 4.2) to assist with the focus of strategic nature conservation effort and to identify where pressures from development might be felt.
• Many of the PUAs identified in RPG10 are close to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Plymouth, and Bournemouth and Poole are also close to National Parks. Some PUAs are close to identified priority habitats, for example Bournemouth and Poole are adjacent to Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas, a Ramsar site and heathland.
Likely evolution without implementation of the draft RSS
• According to the SofSW 2004, the condition of SSSIs is improving in the region.
• The National headline indicators for the SW show that river water quality is improving.
• However, there is increasing pressure from development on the protected historic environment. There has been a slight decreasing trend in the number of listed buildings at risk over the past few years (2.3% in 1999, 2.0% in 2002 and
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 39
2.2% in 2003). However this pattern cannot be guaranteed in the future. Pressure on historic town centres is likely to rise as settlements and associated demand for service provision grow.
The issue of Diverse Man-Made and Natural Environment is linked to SSA High Level Objectives:
5: Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets.
6: Minimise consumption of natural resources.
Figure 4.2 South West Regional Nature Map (SWRBP)
Source: SW Regional Biodiversity Partnership, Version 2, November 2005.
Urbanisation of rural areas 4.26. Although the South West is seen as being one of the most rural regions, many of its
residents live in urban areas, ranging from small market towns to major national cities. The quality of, and access to, services, job opportunities, and local environments often vary markedly between and within towns and cities. In the rural areas, many people are increasingly choosing to live a more urban lifestyle, with local shops and services often unable to compete. However, communities in rural areas, and the farming sector in particular, have an important role to play in conserving the rich variety of countryside landscapes and habitats that the South West enjoys.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 40
Key indicators
• CPRE36 - It is estimated that tranquil areas in England have reduced by 21% since the early 1960s, with half of the country now disturbed by development, roads and traffic. This is evident in some parts of the South West along the M5 corridor and road networks.
• CPRE – Although the SW is one of the least light-polluted regions, light pollution increased by almost 20% between 1993 and 2000.
Spatial differences
• There is a heavy concentration of countryside character areas that underwent "marked change inconsistent with their character" in the Central-East of the region. Virtually all the character areas east of the Blackdowns and the Vale of Taunton & Quantock Fringes underwent either “marked change” or “some change” inconsistent with their character with the exception of the Cotswolds and South Purbeck (Countryside Agency).
• Light pollution increased by 25% in Wiltshire. Devon remains one of the largest expanses of dark skies in the whole country, predominantly in Exmoor and Dartmoor (SofSW 2004).
Likely evolution without implementation of the draft RSS
• According to the Countryside Quality Counts National Indicator of Change, and CPRE’s data on tranquil areas and light pollution, it is likely that the urbanisation of rural areas will continue to occur.
The issue of Urbanisation of Rural Areas is linked to SSA High Level Objectives:
2: Support communities that meet people’s needs.
5: Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets.
WIDER CHALLENGES FACING THE SOUTH WEST 4.27. In addition to the above issues, the South West experiences some important
challenges that are not specific to the region, but which will also need to be borne in mind when using the SSA Framework.
Increased consumption of resources 4.28. Society in general continues to exhibit increased consumption of resources – we use
ever more energy, water and other natural resources, and produce more waste. Our lives are becoming more resource intensive.
4.29. The SWRA recognises the strong connections between waste, energy and minerals policy, and has established a Waste Energy and Minerals Group of Assembly members that takes an overview of the development of policy in these areas. Waste
36 Tranquil areas: comparison of early 1960s and early 1990s. Campaign for the Protection of Rural England.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 41
policies are contained in the regional Waste Strategy, some of which have been translated into policies for the draft RSS. Minerals policies are included in RPG10 and were reviewed for inclusion in the draft RSS. A target for renewable energy is also included in RPG10. It is likely that a Regional Sustainable Energy Strategy will be developed in parallel with development of policies for the draft RSS.
4.30. The South West Waste Strategy was launched in October 2004. Its Vision says: “The South West will become a minimum waste region by 2030, with households and businesses maximising opportunities for reuse and recycling.” The Waste Strategy aims to ensure that by the year 2020 over 45% of waste is recycled and reused and less than 20% of waste produced in the region will be landfilled.
Key indicators
• National Sustainable Development Indicator for Waste (SW Regional Data) –
• 18 million tonnes of waste were produced in the South West in 2002-3; 10% of the England total.
• 54% of all South West waste was produced by construction and demolition (48%, England average) and 30% came from industry and commerce (36%, England average), whilst the remaining 16% was municipal waste (17%, England average).
• 40% of waste in the region was disposed of by landfill (43%, England average) and 44% was recycled (43%, England average).
• National Sustainable Development Indicator for Land Use (SW Regional Data) –
• In 2004, 57% of new dwellings were built on previously-developed land in the South West; an increase of 22 percentage points since 1994.
• The land recycling rate in the South West has been consistently below the average rate for England, which in 2004 was 68% of dwellings.
• SofSW 2004 – In 2003, an average of 52% of total housing commitments in the SW were on previously developed (brownfield) land, meeting the regional target of 50% of new housing development on brownfield land, but below the national target of 60%.
• SWRA37 – The majority of SW District/Unitary Authorities only achieved 15-40% brownfield land development between 1998-2001, with slightly more in the counties of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, and the Unitary Authorities of South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, than the north east and south east counties.
• SofSW 2004 – Although the mining and quarrying sector is small in employment terms (in 2001, 0.3% of SW residents worked in the industry compared to 0.2% for England as a whole, however, 1.3% of the resident population of Cornwall
37 Total housing commitments on previously developed land recorded on 31st March 2003, SWRA, 2003.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 42
work in the minerals industry), the industry also has significant impacts on both the natural and historic environment.
• Environment Agency 200138 – The abstraction of water has increased by 10% between 1990-1998 due to demands by business and domestic users. There is no summer surface water available for extraction in the SW and no groundwater resources available for further large-scale development of the major aquifers. There are some areas of the SW, mostly in the east of the region, where there are unsustainable or unacceptable abstraction regimes in winter and summer (updated information has been provided throughout the SSA by the Environment Agency).
Likely evolution without implementation of the draft RSS
• Production of waste, and pressure on land and water is likely to continue to increase. Two Environment Agency studies, undertaken in March 200539, and updated in February 200640, reviewed the water available to support accelerated rates of household growth in the south west up to 2030 under different growth scenarios. Potential deficits were predicted to occur within the South West due to household growth, without further efficiency measures and investment in strategic water resources such as reservoirs.
The issue of Increased Consumption of Resources is linked to SSA High Level Objective:
6: Minimise consumption of natural resources.
Continuing increases in road traffic 4.31. There is a continuing rise in car ownership and use nationally. In the SW, car use and
ownership is relatively high, while use of public transport is low, reflecting the large distances between the major centres of the region, its dispersed population and settlement pattern and a degraded public transport network.
4.32. Road transport is a major contributor to carbon emissions that reduce air quality and contribute to climate change. Major motorways and road networks have been established in the SW for 30 years, but significant upgrades and improvements to many to increase their capacity (e.g. A303), has contributed to urbanisation of the countryside. The traffic also creates noise affecting adjacent communities and sensitive environments.
Key indicators
• National Sustainable Development Indicator for Road Traffic (SW Regional Data) – Traffic increased by 20% in the South West between 1993 and 2002; 46 billion
38 Water resources for the future: A strategy for the South West Region. Environment Agency, 2001. 39 Regional Spatial Strategy: South West (RSS 10) Housing Growth and Water Supply in the South West of England 2005 to 2030. Environment Agency, March 2005. 40 Regional Spatial Strategy: South West (RSS 10) Housing Growth and Water Supply in the South West of England 2005 to 2030. Supplementary Report 1. Environment Agency, February 2006.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 43
vehicle kilometres were covered by motor vehicles in 2002. This represented the third highest increase of the regions.
• SofSW 2004 – Two thirds of all journeys made by SW residents during the period 1999-2001 were made by car, and SW residents are more likely to make their journeys by car, and less likely to travel by public transport, than the average for England. The use of public transport is largely concentrated in the urban areas. 78% of the region’s employed residents travel to work by car or motorcycle, 6% by public transport and 15% either walking or cycling. These patterns are similar to other regions except for London.
• SofSW 2004 – People in the SW have one of the least accessible bus services in England, with only 78% living within a 13 minute walk of an hourly service, compared with 89% in the country as a whole.
• National Sustainable Development Indicator for Air Quality (SW Regional Data) –
• Four sites were used for monitoring air pollution in the South West in 2004. The number of days of moderate or higher air pollution in the region ranged from 16 days in Bristol Centre to 53 days in Yarner Wood. The number of days of moderate or higher air pollution decreased in all four sites between 2003 and 2004.
• Three sites were used for monitoring particulates (PM10) the South West in 2004 and PM10 levels decreased in two of the three sites between 2003 and 2004 (they stayed at the same level in Plymouth).
• Six sites were used for monitoring ozone in the South West in 2004 and ozone levels decreased in all six sites between 2003 and 2004.
Likely evolution without implementation of the draft RSS
• The National headline indicators for road traffic in the SW show that levels of traffic are increasing, however, there is not enough data available from the headline indicators to present trends in air quality for the SW.
• While the SofSW 2004 reports that bus passenger numbers are falling, use of rail in the region is increasing. Air travel is also growing in line with national growth.
The issue of Continuing Increases in Road Traffic is linked to SSA High Level Objectives:
4: Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to communities and the environment.
6: Minimise consumption of natural resources.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 44
Consumption versus happiness 4.33. There is a growing debate about the relationship between consumption versus
happiness. The report of the UK Sustainable Development Commission (SDC)41, for example, calls for economic growth that supports social progress, high employment levels, and protection of the environment and prudent use of natural resources (and discourage the kinds of economic growth that do not), and therefore also for smarter targets than those that focus primarily on GDP / GVA growth to guide an economic path that actually improves quality of life.
Key indicators
• There were no indicators for measuring happiness in the Government’s previous set of 15 Headline Indicators of sustainable development, and the SDC report suggested that the Government needs to bring forward a new, better set of headline indicators, that include a different approach to measuring economic progress. While the UK is above the European average for GDP, this is accompanied by much greater inequality in income, and a ‘long hours, high pressure’ employment culture. There is no evidence that the UK pattern of economic development is making people happier or giving them a better quality of life.
• The SDC report also recommended that the Government’s fourth sustainable development objective “Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment” be re-formulated so that high employment is linked with the goal of social progress and well-being, rather than with economic growth, since having satisfactory work is a fundamental part of social and personal security and identity.
• While building on the existing four objectives of sustainable development, the new UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy redefines the four objectives into an overall goal, five principles and four shared priorities for action (these are discussed in more detail in Chapter 5). The development/economy objectives in the SW are now framed more in terms of quality of life outcomes.
• In addition, as discussed earlier in this chapter, to support the Strategy the Government has now set out a suite of 68 national sustainable development indicators (expanding the previous set of 15). The 68th indicator is ‘wellbeing’, however, there is no data available for it as yet on the sustainable development website. There are also new indicators for social justice and environmental equality, which also have no data available as yet.
Likely evolution without implementation of the draft RSS
• Without data to support the indicators for measuring happiness it is too difficult to predict future trends in the SW region.
41 Shows Promise. But Must Try Harder. Sustainable Development Commission, April 2004.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 45
The issue of Consumption versus Happiness is linked to SSA High Level Objectives:
1: Improve health.
2: Support communities that meet people’s needs.
3: Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs.
Climate change 4.34. Climate change is likely to bring higher temperatures placing greater strain on the
region’s water resources and altering natural habitats, and more extreme weather, including more frequent flooding and storm events. There is a need to maximise local resilience, to minimise exposure to extreme weather and global resource uncertainties, design buildings to protect against heat as well as cold, reduce water and energy demand. The SW Regional Environment Strategy also notes that climate change is likely to bring opportunities that the SW region should capitalise on. For example, warmer temperatures and longer growing seasons could lead to increased productivity and present opportunities for farmers and growers to grow new crops. New business opportunities may arise for the leisure and tourism industry.
Key indicators
• National Sustainable Development Indicator for Greenhouse Gas Emissions (SW Regional Data) –
• The South West emitted 11.2 million tonnes carbon equivalent of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2003; the second lowest amount of the regions. This equated to 2.2 tonnes per resident; below the average rate for England and the third lowest rate of the regions. This represents an increase since 2001, when total emissions of carbon dioxide were 8 million tonnes carbon, or 1.5 tonnes per head.
• National Sustainable Development Indicator for Carbon Dioxide Emissions by End User (SW Regional Data) – In 2003, around 36% (England average 45%) of CO2 emissions in the South West were from industry and commerce, compared with approximately 33% (England average 30%) from domestic sources and 27% (England average 25%) from road transport.
• SofSW 2004 – The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by more than 30% since pre-industrial times and is still increasing at an unprecedented average rate of 0.4% per year, mainly due to the combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation.
• SofSW 2004 – The number of properties that have been flooded in the SW has steadily increased since 1996/97. Areas at particular risk of flooding in the SW are the Somerset Levels and Moors, Bristol, Taunton, Bridgwater, Exeter, Blandford and Bodmin.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 46
Likely evolution without implementation of the draft RSS
• Carbon dioxide emissions are likely to continue to increase, contributing to climate change.
• Flooding of properties is also likely to increase as a result of climate change. The Environment Agency predicts an increase in the frequency of coastal flooding as a result of sea level rise associated with climate change42. In addition, there is likely to be increased wave height and energy, which may mean many previously sheltered communities will become more exposed to wave action. Increased structural loading on sea defences by waves with greater energy would compromise their effectiveness. Inland flood risk is also likely to increase in frequency, severity and duration resulting from increased winter rainfall quantities and intensities. Many locations previously not at risk may become vulnerable especially in flatter areas, and existing locations at risk will be subject to greater damages due to flooding.
The issue of Climate Change is linked to SSA High Level Objectives:
3: Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs.
4: Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to communities and the environment.
5: Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets.
6: Minimise consumption of natural resources.
42 Regional Spatial Strategy South West (RSS 10). Future Flood Risk Supporting Notes V2. Environment Agency, February 2006.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 47
CHARACTERISTICS OF AREAS LIKELY TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED BY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RSS
4.35. A requirement of the SEA Directive (Annex 1 c)) is to describe “the environmental characteristics of areas likely to be significantly affected”. In the South West, the areas likely to be significantly affected are set out in the Sub Regional Strategy Statements (draft RSS section 4). These describe the way in which development in different parts of the region is to be guided in future, recognising the varied nature of constraints, opportunities and pressures.
4.36. The draft RSS divides the region into three broad areas, in which locationally specific policies are ‘loosely grouped’ within further sub-divisions. Nine Joint Study Areas (JSAs) were identified, and these formed the basis for strategic planning at the sub regional level. The JSAs reflect individual or groupings of Strategically Significant Towns and Cities (SSCTs). An overview of this policy structure is provided below.
The north and centre of the region 4.37. This includes the SSCTs of the West of England (Bath, Bristol, Weston super Mare
and associated towns), Swindon (and the associated town of Cirencester), Gloucester and Cheltenham (and the associated towns of the Forest of Dean, Stroud and Tewkesbury), Exeter (and the associated town of Newton Abbot), Taunton and Bridgwater (and the associated town of Wellington), and Trowbridge, Chippenham and Yeovil.
Joint Study Areas
• West of England (includes Bristol, Bath and Weston super Mare).
• Swindon.
• Gloucester and Cheltenham.
• Exeter.
• Taunton and Bridgwater.
The south east of the region 4.38. This includes the SSCTs of the South East Dorset conurbation (Bournemouth, Poole,
Christchurch and associated towns), Weymouth, Dorchester and Salisbury.
Joint Study Area
• South East Dorset.
The Western Peninsular 4.39. This includes the SSCTs of Plymouth, Torbay, the main Cornish Towns of
Camborne-Pool-Redruth, Falmouth-Penryn and Truro (and the associated towns of
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 48
Penzance, Newquay and St. Austell), Barnstaple (and the associated town of Bideford/Northam).
Joint Study Areas
• Plymouth, South East Cornwall and South West Devon.
• Torbay.
• Cornish Towns and Isles of Scilly.
4.40. Table 4.1 provides a description of the key sustainability characteristics and issues for each of the JSAs (as represented by the bulleted spatial strategies above) that are likely to be significantly affected. Information is based on the key characteristics of each spatial strategy area included in Appendix C of the SSA report (Detailed Appraisal of Sub-Regional Strategies). It also draws on information from reports on characteristics and constraints. For example information provided by the RSS Joint Study Areas Flood Risk Review meeting43, flood risk constraints mapping, and draft settlement profile papers prepared for SWRDA by Roger Tym & Partners.
43 Waste Water Treatment and Disposal – Summary of Environmental Issues. Environment Agency, February 2006
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kely
to
be s
igni
fican
tly
affe
cted
by
impl
emen
tati
on o
f the
RSS
JS
A /
Spat
ial S
trat
egy
Are
as
Sust
aina
bilit
y ch
arac
teri
stic
s/is
sues
like
ly t
o be
sig
nific
antl
y af
fect
ed b
y R
SS
Nor
th a
nd C
entr
e of
the
R
egio
n SS
CT
s: W
est
of E
ngla
nd (
Bath
, Bri
stol
, Wes
ton
supe
r M
are
and
asso
ciat
ed t
owns
), Sw
indo
n (a
nd t
he
asso
ciat
ed t
own
of C
iren
cest
er),
Glo
uces
ter
and
Che
ltenh
am (
and
the
asso
ciat
ed t
owns
of t
he F
ores
t of
D
ean,
Str
oud
and
Tew
kesb
ury,
) Ex
eter
(an
d th
e as
soci
ated
tow
n of
New
ton
Abb
ot),
Tau
nton
and
Br
idgw
ater
(an
d th
e as
soci
ated
tow
n of
Wel
lingt
on),
and
Tro
wbr
idge
, Chi
ppen
ham
and
Yeo
vil.
Wes
t of
Eng
land
(in
clud
ing
Bris
tol,
Bath
and
Wes
ton-
supe
r-M
are)
1.
T
he W
est
of E
ngla
nd c
ompr
ises
the
four
cou
ncils
of B
ath
and
Nor
th E
ast
Som
erse
t C
ounc
il, B
rist
ol
City
Cou
ncil,
Nor
th S
omer
set
Cou
ncil
and
Sout
h G
louc
este
rshi
re C
ounc
il an
d a
rang
e of
soc
ial,
econ
omic
and
env
iron
men
tal p
artn
ers.
It
cont
ains
the
thr
ee P
rinc
ipal
Urb
an A
reas
Bri
stol
(p
opul
atio
n 55
1,06
6 –
2001
cen
sus)
, Bat
h (9
0,14
4) a
nd W
esto
n-su
per-
Mar
e (8
0,07
6).
The
sub
-re
gion
as
a w
hole
has
a p
opul
atio
n of
alm
ost
1 m
illio
n –
20%
of t
he r
egio
n’s
tota
l, on
just
ove
r 5%
of
its a
rea.
It h
as a
hig
her
over
all d
ensi
ty o
f pop
ulat
ion
and
deve
lopm
ent
than
any
oth
er p
art
of
sout
hern
Eng
land
out
side
Lon
don.
2.
It is
one
of t
he m
ost
com
petit
ive
and
econ
omic
ally
impo
rtan
t ci
ty r
egio
ns in
the
UK
and
, in
term
s of
po
pula
tion
and
outp
ut, t
he la
rges
t in
the
Sou
th W
est.
Bri
stol
has
a m
ajor
tow
n ce
ntre
ser
vice
and
re
tail
cent
re, p
lus
a si
gnifi
cant
em
ploy
men
t ar
ea a
djoi
ning
the
M4/
M5
mot
orw
ays
to n
orth
. Its
rol
e as
a
port
has
muc
h re
duce
d. B
ath
is a
n im
port
ant
regi
onal
cen
tre,
with
a v
ibra
nt e
cono
my
incl
udin
g to
uris
m a
nd b
usin
ess
serv
ices
. W
esto
n-su
per-
Mar
e is
a m
ajor
coa
stal
res
ort.
3.
The
sub
-reg
ion
is a
key
eco
nom
ic d
rive
r in
the
reg
ion
with
the
hig
hest
out
put
(GD
P) p
er h
ead
of t
he
core
city
reg
ions
in E
ngla
nd o
utsi
de L
ondo
n. T
he a
rea
cont
ains
four
uni
vers
ities
with
nat
iona
l and
of
ten
inte
rnat
iona
l rep
utat
ions
for
exce
llenc
e in
res
earc
h an
d te
achi
ng, t
he r
apid
ly e
xpan
ding
Bri
stol
In
tern
atio
nal A
irpo
rt a
nd o
ne o
f the
mos
t m
oder
n an
d be
st e
quip
ped
sea
port
s in
the
UK
. N
earl
y 70
% o
f the
sub
-reg
ion’
s ho
mes
and
75%
of i
ts jo
bs a
re c
once
ntra
ted
in t
he B
rist
ol c
onur
batio
n, B
ath,
an
d W
esto
n-su
per-
Mar
e. B
ath
is a
n im
port
ant
cultu
ral a
nd s
hopp
ing
cent
re r
etai
ning
its
own
iden
tity
desp
ite it
s pr
oxim
ity t
o Br
isto
l. W
esto
n-su
per-
Mar
e ex
peri
ence
s hi
gh le
vels
of c
omm
utin
g to
Br
isto
l.
4.
The
re a
re s
igni
fican
t po
cket
s of
dep
riva
tion
(Bri
stol
has
19
of t
he 9
8 m
ost
depr
ived
SO
As
in t
he
regi
on; W
esto
n-su
per-
Mar
e 6)
. Men
and
wom
en in
Bri
stol
hav
e lo
wer
life
exp
ecta
ncy
than
Eng
land
as
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
50
JSA
/ Sp
atia
l Str
ateg
y A
reas
Su
stai
nabi
lity
char
acte
rist
ics/
issu
es li
kely
to
be s
igni
fican
tly
affe
cted
by
RSS
a w
hole
.
5.
In t
erm
s of
tra
nspo
rt B
rist
ol is
at
a ke
y no
dal p
oint
on
Firs
t G
reat
Wes
tern
rai
l net
wor
k (c
onne
ctin
g Lo
ndon
and
the
Sou
th E
ast
with
Sou
th W
ales
, and
citi
es/t
owns
to
Cor
nwal
l). S
imila
r ro
ad
conn
ectio
ns a
re v
ia M
4 an
d M
5 bu
t al
so t
o W
est
Mid
land
s co
nurb
atio
n an
d th
e N
orth
. Br
isto
l su
ffers
from
tra
ffic
cong
estio
n, b
oth
in t
he c
ity c
entr
e an
d on
the
sur
roun
ding
roa
d ne
twor
k. B
ath
is
wel
l con
nect
ed t
o th
e na
tiona
l rai
l net
wor
k, b
ut is
less
wel
l ser
ved
by r
oad.
Wes
ton-
supe
r-M
are
is
not
on t
he h
igh-
spee
d na
tiona
l rai
l net
wor
k, b
ut is
a s
hort
dis
tanc
e fr
om t
he M
5.
6.
The
sub
-reg
ion
is n
oted
for
its e
nvir
onm
enta
l and
cul
tura
l qua
litie
s. M
ost
of t
he a
rea
is d
isch
arge
s to
th
e R
iver
Che
lt –
a se
nsiti
ve a
rea
requ
irin
g ph
osph
ate
rem
oval
. Mai
ntai
ning
the
req
uire
d st
anda
rds
is
poss
ible
but
dilu
tion
rate
s ar
e al
read
y lo
w c
lose
to
desi
gnat
ed w
ildlif
e si
tes.
Bri
stol
has
a s
igni
fican
t hi
stor
y as
soci
ated
with
its
port
, cat
hedr
al a
nd u
nive
rsity
. Ba
th is
des
igna
ted
as a
Wor
ld H
erita
ge
Site
. T
he s
ub-r
egio
n’s
smal
ler
tow
ns, v
illag
es a
nd c
ount
rysi
de, m
uch
of it
pro
tect
ed a
s G
reen
Bel
t, to
geth
er a
lso
cont
ribu
te t
o m
akin
g th
is a
com
plex
, clo
sely
inte
grat
ed p
olyc
entr
ic a
rea.
7.
How
ever
the
re a
re a
lso
envi
ronm
enta
l con
stra
ints
: To
the
east
of B
rist
ol li
es t
he s
outh
ern
end
of
the
Cot
swol
ds A
ON
B. T
he C
otsw
old
AO
NB
abut
s th
e no
rthe
rn a
nd e
aste
rn b
ound
arie
s of
the
Ba
th u
rban
are
a. W
esto
n-su
per-
Mar
e is
in c
lose
pro
xim
ity t
o th
e M
endi
p H
ills
AO
NB.
The
Sev
ern
estu
ary
is d
esig
nate
d as
a S
peci
al P
rote
ctio
n A
rea
(SPA
) an
d is
of R
amsa
r st
atus
. The
nor
th o
f Bri
stol
ha
s ex
peri
ence
d si
gnifi
cant
dev
elop
men
t in
rec
ent
year
s. M
uch
of t
he d
rain
age
is t
o ur
ban
catc
hmen
ts
and
cont
rol o
f run
-off
is im
port
ant.
Min
or t
ribu
tari
es in
thi
s ar
ea c
ould
pre
sent
ris
ks d
owns
trea
m if
ru
n-of
f fro
m n
ew d
evel
opm
ent
is n
ot a
tten
uate
d. T
here
are
als
o tid
al a
nd fl
uvia
l flo
od r
isks
in c
entr
al
Bris
tol.
Sw
indo
n 1.
Sw
indo
n Jo
int
Stud
y A
rea
com
pris
es t
he B
orou
gh o
f Sw
indo
n, p
lus
part
s of
the
adj
oini
ng d
istr
icts
of
Cot
swol
d (G
louc
este
rshi
re),
Wes
t O
xfor
dshi
re a
nd V
ale
of W
hite
Hor
se (
Oxf
ords
hire
), W
est
Berk
shir
e (U
nita
ry),
Ken
net
and
Nor
th W
iltsh
ire
(Wilt
shir
e).
As
a co
nseq
uenc
e th
e JS
A c
over
s fiv
e di
stri
cts,
tw
o un
itary
aut
hori
ties,
thr
ee c
ount
ies
and
two
Gov
ernm
ent
Reg
ions
. T
he a
rea
is r
ough
ly a
20
mile
rad
ius
from
the
cen
tre
of S
win
don,
with
an
oute
r ed
ge m
arke
d by
a s
erie
s of
mar
ket
tow
ns:
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
51
JSA
/ Sp
atia
l Str
ateg
y A
reas
Su
stai
nabi
lity
char
acte
rist
ics/
issu
es li
kely
to
be s
igni
fican
tly
affe
cted
by
RSS
Cir
ence
ster
, Mal
mes
bury
, Chi
ppen
ham
, Dev
izes
, Pew
sey,
Wan
tage
and
Car
tert
on.
2.
The
pop
ulat
ion
of S
win
don
stoo
d at
155
,432
, at
the
time
of t
he 2
001
cens
us.
Popu
latio
n si
ze is
ex
pect
ed t
o in
crea
se t
o 22
1,00
0 by
202
6. A
t pr
esen
t 83
.7%
of r
esid
ents
wor
k in
the
Sw
indo
n U
rban
A
rea.
31,
979
peop
le c
omm
ute
daily
into
Sw
indo
n w
ith a
net
gai
n of
peo
ple
trav
ellin
g to
wor
k in
Sw
indo
n of
18,
352.
Sw
indo
n cu
rren
tly s
uffe
rs w
ith la
bour
sho
rtag
es a
nd a
hou
sing
mar
ket
imba
lanc
e.
3.
The
eco
nom
y is
mar
ked
by a
sig
nific
ant
finan
cial
and
bus
ines
s se
rvic
es s
ecto
r, a
nd e
nvir
onm
enta
l in
dust
ries
. H
owev
er r
etai
l, cu
ltura
l and
edu
catio
nal f
acili
ties
are
cons
ider
ed t
o be
not
com
men
sura
te
with
the
siz
e of
the
tow
n. A
t th
e sa
me
time
ther
e ar
e si
gnifi
cant
poc
kets
exi
st (
7 of
the
98
mos
t de
priv
ed S
OA
s in
the
reg
ion)
.
4.
It ha
s go
od c
onne
ctio
ns in
clud
ing
Firs
t G
reat
Wes
tern
mai
nlin
e an
d M
4. H
owev
er t
here
are
co
nver
sely
sig
nific
ant
prob
lem
s w
ith t
raffi
c co
nges
tion
expe
rien
ced
in t
he t
own.
5.
Swin
don
is a
com
pact
city
, onc
e a
railw
ay v
illag
e. D
ue t
o its
rai
lway
his
tory
, the
re is
a p
ropo
sal f
or it
to
be
part
of a
Wor
ld H
erita
ge S
ite.
Even
out
side
the
Gre
at W
este
rn R
ailw
ay a
rea,
Sw
indo
n ha
s a
rich
and
var
ied
heri
tage
, with
28
cons
erva
tion
area
s, a
roun
d 1,
000
liste
d bu
ildin
gs, 5
2 Sc
hedu
led
Anc
ient
Mon
umen
ts a
nd o
ver
1,00
0 ot
her
feat
ures
of d
ocum
ente
d ar
chae
olog
ical
sig
nific
ance
. Pr
oxim
ity t
o N
orth
Wes
sex
Dow
ns t
o th
e so
uth
acts
as
an e
nvir
onm
enta
l con
stra
int.
6.
Floo
d ri
sk m
anag
emen
t is
sues
ari
se a
cros
s th
e fa
vour
ed d
evel
opm
ent
area
s in
the
Sw
indo
n JS
A.
The
R
iver
Ray
and
tri
buta
ries
floo
dpla
in li
es in
the
eas
tern
dev
elop
men
t ar
ea.
7.
Ove
r th
e R
SS p
lan
peri
od it
is e
xpec
ted
that
the
sub
-reg
ion
will
req
uire
the
dev
elop
men
t of
new
st
rate
gic
wat
er r
esou
rces
. T
here
are
als
o si
gnifi
cant
pre
ssur
es o
n Sw
indo
n’s
was
te w
ater
tre
atm
ent
syst
em.
Dilu
tion
is lo
w, a
nd m
eetin
g st
anda
rds
set
unde
r th
e Fr
eshw
ater
Fis
heri
es d
irec
tive
will
be
diffi
cult.
Glo
uces
ter
& C
helte
nham
1.
T
he C
helte
nham
(po
pula
tion
110,
320
– C
ensu
s 20
01)
and
Glo
uces
ter
(pop
ulat
ion
136,
203)
JSA
in
clud
es t
he P
rinc
ipal
Urb
an A
reas
of C
helte
nham
and
Glo
uces
ter,
with
set
tlem
ents
at
the
boun
dary
in
clud
ing
Har
ecom
be, G
reat
Wic
ombe
, Shu
rdin
gton
, Pre
stbu
ry, W
oodm
anco
le, E
lmst
one,
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
52
JSA
/ Sp
atia
l Str
ateg
y A
reas
Su
stai
nabi
lity
char
acte
rist
ics/
issu
es li
kely
to
be s
igni
fican
tly
affe
cted
by
RSS
Dee
rhur
st, T
wig
wor
th a
nd H
ardw
icke
. Che
ltenh
am is
a s
igni
fican
t re
tail
cent
re a
nd a
uni
vers
ity
tow
n. G
louc
este
r is
a h
isto
ric
rom
an s
ettle
men
t, w
ith a
doc
k (u
nder
maj
or r
egen
erat
ion)
and
ca
thed
ral (
hom
e to
par
t of
the
Uni
vers
ity o
f Glo
uces
ters
hire
).
2.
50%
of t
he jo
bs in
the
Cou
nty
can
be fo
und
with
in t
he P
rinc
ipal
Urb
an A
rea’
s of
Che
ltenh
am a
nd
Glo
uces
ter,
with
tou
rism
, pub
lic a
dmin
istr
atio
n, h
ealth
, edu
catio
n an
d re
tail
bein
g th
e m
ost
impo
rtan
t se
ctor
s. A
ccor
ding
to
the
Cou
nty
Cou
ncil,
app
roxi
mat
ely
80%
of t
hose
em
ploy
ed in
the
ar
ea a
lso
resi
de t
here
, sug
gest
ing
a re
lativ
ely
high
leve
l of s
elf-c
onta
inm
ent.
3.
The
re a
re a
num
ber
of s
igni
fican
t tr
ansp
ort
rout
es, s
uch
as t
he M
5, A
40, A
38 a
nd t
he A
417/
A41
9,
and
rail
line
and
link
betw
een
the
Cou
nty/
JSA
and
Bir
min
gham
, the
Sou
th W
est,
Sout
h W
ales
and
Lo
ndon
.
4.
Pock
ets
of d
epri
vatio
n ex
ist
in G
louc
este
r (4
of t
he 9
8 m
ost
depr
ived
SO
As
in t
he r
egio
n).
Rep
orte
d he
alth
of t
he r
esid
ents
of t
he JS
A is
abo
ve t
he n
atio
nal a
vera
ge, a
nd li
fe e
xpec
tanc
y is
sl
ight
ly h
ighe
r th
an t
he n
atio
nal a
vera
ge in
bot
h ar
eas,
alth
ough
men
in G
louc
este
r ha
ve lo
wer
life
ex
pect
ancy
tha
n En
glan
d as
a w
hole
.
5.
Che
ltenh
am a
nd G
louc
este
r ar
e bo
th c
onst
rain
ed (
in t
erm
s of
futu
re d
evel
opm
ent)
by
Gre
en B
elt,
flood
plai
n an
d A
ON
B de
sign
atio
n. O
ver
50%
of t
he JS
A is
des
igna
ted
AO
NB,
the
re a
re a
lso
a nu
mbe
r of
Spe
cial
Lan
dsca
pe A
reas
(SL
A’s
), SS
SI’s
, Bio
dive
rsity
Act
ion
Plan
Pri
ority
Hab
itats
, Loc
al
Nat
ure
Res
erve
s an
d ot
her
area
s of
hab
itat
and
biod
iver
sity
impo
rtan
ce.
Che
ltenh
am is
con
stra
ined
by
Cot
swol
d A
ON
B. T
he fl
oodp
lain
of t
he r
iver
Sev
ern
is a
lso
a m
ajor
env
iron
men
tal c
onst
rain
t ar
ound
Glo
uces
ter.
In
term
s of
was
te-w
ater
dis
char
ges
to t
he R
iver
Che
lt al
so a
ct a
s a
cons
trai
nt.
Thi
s is
a s
ensi
tive
area
req
uiri
ng p
hosp
hate
rem
oval
and
mai
ntai
ning
the
req
uire
d st
anda
rds
is
poss
ible
but
dilu
tion
rate
s ar
e al
read
y lo
w.
Exet
er
1.
Exet
er s
ub-r
egio
n in
clud
es t
he c
ity a
nd t
he a
dmin
istr
ativ
e ar
eas
of M
id D
evon
, Eas
t D
evon
and
T
eign
brid
ge, a
lthou
gh t
he T
eign
brid
ge a
rea
is a
lso
influ
ence
d by
Tor
bay
Prin
cipa
l Urb
an A
rea
(with
in
the
Tor
bay
and
Sout
h Ea
st D
evon
JSA
). N
ewto
n A
bbot
, Tiv
erto
n, C
redi
ton,
Cul
lom
pton
, Exm
outh
, H
onito
n, S
eato
n, S
idm
outh
, Axm
inst
er, O
tter
y St
Mar
y, D
awlis
h an
d T
eign
mou
th a
ll pr
ovid
e “m
arke
t to
wn”
func
tions
for
thei
r su
rrou
ndin
g hi
nter
land
s.
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
53
JSA
/ Sp
atia
l Str
ateg
y A
reas
Su
stai
nabi
lity
char
acte
rist
ics/
issu
es li
kely
to
be s
igni
fican
tly
affe
cted
by
RSS
2.
The
res
iden
t po
pula
tion
of t
he s
ub-r
egio
n is
427
,342
(20
01 c
ensu
s da
ta).
Thi
s is
a 1
0.6%
incr
ease
on
1991
figu
res,
the
gre
ates
t ch
ange
bei
ng w
ithin
Exe
ter
itsel
f. Jo
b gr
owth
has
bee
n ab
ove
regi
onal
and
na
tiona
l rat
es, h
owev
er a
vera
ge e
arni
ngs
are
rela
tivel
y lo
w in
com
pari
son
to r
egio
nal a
nd n
atio
nal
figur
es.
The
re is
a s
tron
g se
rvic
e an
d to
uris
m b
ase
to t
he e
cono
my.
The
re is
a fa
irly
goo
d ra
nge
of
hous
ing.
3.
Des
pite
the
city
’s r
elat
ive
econ
omic
buo
yanc
y, t
here
are
poc
kets
of l
ocal
dep
riva
tion
that
are
af
fect
ed b
y po
or p
riva
te s
ecto
r ho
usin
g. T
he s
ub-r
egio
n ha
s nu
mer
ous
sett
lem
ents
with
div
erse
ch
arac
ters
, rol
es a
nd fu
nctio
ns.
Not
able
are
the
rel
atio
nshi
ps b
etw
een
sate
llite
tow
ns a
nd t
he c
ity,
and
betw
een
mar
ket
tow
ns a
nd s
urro
undi
ng r
ural
are
as.
Exet
er is
als
o lin
ked
to L
ondo
n by
bot
h Fi
rst
Gre
at W
este
rn (
via
Bris
tol)
and
Sout
h W
est
Tra
ins.
Exe
ter
airp
ort
has
expa
nded
in im
port
ance
–
and
is p
redi
cted
to
cont
inue
to
do s
o du
ring
the
RSS
per
iod.
4.
Exet
er is
a h
isto
ric
and
attr
activ
e ci
ty w
ith a
n im
port
ant
hist
oric
cor
e an
d ca
thed
ral c
ity s
tatu
s. T
he
sub-
regi
on is
dra
ined
by
the
Cre
edy,
Cly
st, C
ulm
and
Exe
riv
er s
yste
ms.
Exe
Est
uary
is S
PA in
clud
ing
flood
plai
n of
Exm
inst
er M
arsh
es a
nd t
he lo
wer
Cly
st. C
oast
al s
quee
ze is
sues
are
alr
eady
a p
robl
em
for
site
inte
grity
. The
JSA
als
o in
clud
es E
ast
Dev
on P
ebbl
e Be
ds H
eath
s an
d de
sign
ated
coa
stal
are
as.
The
JSA
con
tain
s th
e H
aldo
n H
ills,
an
area
of G
reat
Lan
dsca
pe V
alue
, and
the
Jura
ssic
Coa
st
(bet
wee
n Ex
mou
th a
nd D
orse
t) w
hich
is a
Wor
ld H
erita
ge S
ite.
Muc
h of
the
est
uary
and
su
rrou
ndin
g ha
bita
ts a
re d
esig
nate
d as
inte
rnat
iona
lly im
port
ant
for
wild
life
(SPA
and
SA
C)
with
a
Ram
sar
site
des
igna
tion
for
the
Exe
estu
ary.
Exe
ter
itsel
f is
cons
trai
ned
by p
roxi
mity
to
Dar
tmoo
r N
atio
nal P
ark
to t
he w
est
of t
he c
ity, E
ast
Dev
on A
ON
B to
the
eas
t, as
wel
l as
bein
g an
are
a at
pa
rtic
ular
ris
k of
floo
ding
.
Tau
nton
1.
In
200
1, T
aunt
on h
ad a
res
iden
t po
pula
tion
of 6
3,53
5. T
aunt
on h
as a
suc
cess
ful l
ocal
eco
nom
y w
ith
a si
gnifi
cant
ser
vice
sec
tor.
Its
par
ticul
ar s
tren
gth
com
es fr
om it
s lo
catio
n (a
str
ateg
ic m
id-p
oint
po
sitio
n in
the
sou
th w
est,
in c
lose
pro
xim
ity t
o th
e m
otor
way
net
wor
k, a
2 h
our
trai
n jo
urne
y fr
om
Lond
on a
nd t
he s
outh
eas
t an
d a
45 m
inut
e dr
ive
from
Bri
stol
and
Exe
ter
airp
orts
). H
owev
er
cultu
ral f
acili
ties
in t
he c
ity a
re p
oor
rela
tive
to it
s si
ze.
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
54
JSA
/ Sp
atia
l Str
ateg
y A
reas
Su
stai
nabi
lity
char
acte
rist
ics/
issu
es li
kely
to
be s
igni
fican
tly
affe
cted
by
RSS
2.
Tau
nton
is t
he m
ost
succ
essf
ul r
etai
l cen
tre
in S
omer
set.
It e
xper
ienc
es a
net
influ
x of
com
mut
ing,
w
ith 7
7% o
f tho
se o
f wor
king
age
livi
ng in
Tau
nton
wor
king
in t
he t
own.
Job
gro
wth
has
incr
ease
d by
18.
2% in
Tau
nton
’s t
rave
l to
wor
k ar
ea a
nd 1
9.0%
in t
he B
ridg
wat
er t
rave
l to
wor
k ar
ea b
etw
een
1991
and
200
1.
3.
The
re is
a m
utua
l rel
atio
nshi
p be
twee
n Br
idgw
ater
and
Tau
nton
for
wor
k, fa
cilit
ated
by
the
M5,
th
ough
the
re is
a n
et c
omm
ute
into
Tau
nton
. W
ellin
gton
look
s ve
ry s
tron
gly
to T
aunt
on fo
r em
ploy
men
t, al
thou
gh t
here
are
a s
igni
fican
t nu
mbe
r of
cou
nter
tri
ps fr
om T
aunt
on t
o W
ellin
gton
.
4.
Tau
nton
is a
his
tori
c m
arke
t to
wn
and
impo
rtan
t re
gion
al c
entr
e, p
rovi
ding
ser
vice
s to
a w
ide
hint
erla
nd.
The
hig
h qu
ality
env
iron
men
t of
Som
erse
t is
see
n as
a v
ery
impo
rtan
t as
set
in a
ttra
ctin
g in
war
d in
vest
men
t as
wel
l as
an e
xpan
ding
labo
ur fo
rce
to t
he a
rea.
Res
iden
ts r
epor
t th
at t
he m
ost
posi
tive
aspe
ct o
f life
in S
omer
set
is it
s hi
gh q
ualit
y en
viro
nmen
t44.
Prox
imity
to
the
Qua
ntoc
k H
ills
AO
NB
to t
he n
orth
and
the
Sou
th B
lack
dow
n H
ills
AO
NB
to t
he s
outh
act
as
a si
gnifi
cant
en
viro
nmen
tal a
sset
but
a c
onst
rain
t to
dev
elop
men
t. In
add
ition
Tau
nton
dra
ins
to t
he L
evel
s an
d M
oors
SPA
10
km d
owns
trea
m. T
he in
tegr
ity o
f the
SPA
rel
ies
on p
erio
dic
flood
ing
– ch
ange
s in
the
flo
w o
f the
Ton
e m
ay, i
f of s
uffic
ient
sca
le, a
ffect
the
floo
d re
gim
e of
the
leve
ls a
nd m
oors
. T
he a
rea
is a
lso
in a
n ar
ea a
t pa
rtic
ular
ris
k of
fluv
ial f
lood
ing.
Sout
h E
ast
of t
he R
egio
n SS
CT
s: S
outh
Eas
t D
orse
t co
nurb
atio
n (B
ourn
emou
th, P
oole
, Chr
istc
hurc
h an
d as
soci
ated
tow
ns),
Wey
mou
th, D
orch
este
r an
d Sa
lisbu
ry.
Sout
h Ea
st D
orse
t 1.
T
he S
outh
Eas
t D
orse
t Pr
inci
pal U
rban
Are
a is
con
side
red
to b
e th
e co
ntin
uous
bui
lt-up
are
a fo
rmed
by
the
Bor
ough
s of
Bou
rnem
outh
, Poo
le a
nd C
hris
tchu
rch
and
the
adjo
inin
g ur
ban
deve
lopm
ent
whi
ch r
uns
from
Upt
on a
nd C
orfe
Mul
len
in t
he w
est
to t
he C
hris
tchu
rch
boun
dary
in t
he e
ast.
The
bu
ilt u
p ar
ea e
xten
ds fo
r ap
prox
imat
ely
30km
alo
ng t
he c
oast
from
Ham
wor
thy
to B
arto
n-on
-Sea
, in
Ham
pshi
re, i
nclu
ding
the
coa
sts
of P
oole
Har
bour
, and
str
etch
es u
p to
8km
inla
nd. W
ithin
it a
re a
nu
mbe
r of
cen
tres
, with
diff
eren
t fu
nctio
ns.
Aro
und
this
urb
an c
ore
lie a
num
ber
of t
owns
and
larg
e vi
llage
s w
hich
are
clo
sely
rel
ated
func
tiona
lly t
o th
e PU
A b
ut w
hich
are
phy
sica
lly s
epar
ate
from
it.
44
Som
erse
t Eco
nom
ic As
sess
men
t. P
rism
Res
earc
h Lt
d, 2
001
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
55
JSA
/ Sp
atia
l Str
ateg
y A
reas
Su
stai
nabi
lity
char
acte
rist
ics/
issu
es li
kely
to
be s
igni
fican
tly
affe
cted
by
RSS
The
se in
clud
e St
. Leo
nard
s an
d St
. Ive
s, F
ernd
own,
Wes
t Pa
rley
, Wes
t M
oors
and
Ver
woo
d, C
oleh
ill,
Wim
born
e M
inst
er a
nd W
areh
am, a
ll w
ithin
Dor
set.
2.
With
a t
otal
pop
ulat
ion
of o
ver
400,
000,
the
Sou
th E
ast
Dor
set
conu
rbat
ion
is t
he s
econ
d la
rges
t ur
ban
area
in t
he r
egio
n an
d ha
s be
en o
ne o
f the
fast
est
grow
ing
urba
n ar
eas
in t
he c
ount
ry fo
r m
any
year
s, p
rim
arily
due
to
in-m
igra
tion.
The
pop
ulat
ion
stru
ctur
e is
ske
wed
with
a h
igh
prop
ortio
n of
el
derl
y pe
ople
livi
ng in
the
are
a, a
lthou
gh t
here
are
sig
nific
ant
loca
l var
iatio
ns in
age
str
uctu
re a
cros
s th
e co
nurb
atio
n. T
here
is a
lso
an in
crea
sing
am
ount
of s
ingl
e oc
cupa
ncy
and
smal
l hou
seho
lds.
The
ec
onom
y of
the
Pri
ncip
al U
rban
Are
a is
the
mos
t co
mpe
titiv
e in
Dor
set.
The
sub
-reg
ion
expe
rien
ces
low
leve
ls o
f une
mpl
oym
ent.
How
ever
, the
hig
her
wag
ed jo
bs in
Poo
le t
end
to b
enef
it th
ose
livin
g ou
tsid
e th
e Bo
roug
h, d
ispr
opor
tiona
tely
to
loca
l res
iden
ts.
The
eco
nom
y ha
s a
dive
rse
base
with
tou
rism
, hig
h te
chno
logy
eng
inee
ring
, fin
anci
al s
ervi
ces
and
educ
atio
n al
l bei
ng im
port
ant.
T
he a
rea
acts
as
the
maj
or c
entr
e in
the
sou
th e
ast
of t
he r
egio
n fo
r em
ploy
men
t, se
rvic
es, s
hopp
ing,
cu
ltura
l and
edu
catio
n fa
cilit
ies.
Poc
kets
of d
epri
vatio
n al
so e
xist
in p
arts
of t
he u
rban
are
a (4
of t
he
98 m
ost
depr
ived
SO
As
in t
he r
egio
n).
3.
In t
erm
s of
tra
nspo
rt, l
inks
to
the
east
are
rel
ativ
ely
good
but
to
othe
r pa
rts
of t
he S
outh
Wes
t ar
e po
or.
Pool
e is
an
inte
rnat
iona
l fre
ight
/pas
seng
er p
ort,
but
with
poo
r lin
ks t
o th
e na
tiona
l roa
d ne
twor
k. B
ourn
emou
th in
tern
atio
nal a
irpo
rt h
as e
xpan
ded
in im
port
ance
in r
ecen
t ye
ars.
4.
In t
erm
s of
nat
ure
cons
erva
tion
valu
e, D
orse
t as
a w
hole
is o
ne o
f the
mos
t im
port
ant
coun
ties
in
the
UK
. T
he v
arie
d ge
olog
y, m
ariti
me
influ
ence
, geo
grap
hica
l loc
atio
n an
d th
e re
lativ
ely
low
leve
l of
deve
lopm
ent
acro
ss t
he c
ount
y ha
ve r
esul
ted
in a
ric
h an
d di
vers
e ra
nge
of h
abita
ts. W
ithin
the
JSA
th
ere
are
a ra
nge
of im
port
ant
habi
tats
tha
t ha
ve b
een
give
n st
atut
ory
or o
ther
pro
tect
ion
thro
ugh
desi
gnat
ions
ran
ging
from
inte
rnat
iona
l and
nat
iona
l to
thos
e m
ade
by lo
cal a
utho
ritie
s an
d na
ture
co
nser
vatio
n tr
usts
. Im
port
ant
desi
gnat
ed a
reas
are
Ram
sar
site
s, S
PAs,
ESA
s, N
NR
s, S
SSIs
, LN
Rs,
A
oSP,
SN
CI,
SMA
s an
d th
e N
ew F
ores
t N
atio
nal P
ark.
Riv
er A
von
to t
he e
ast
and
heat
hlan
d cl
ose
to
the
urba
n ar
ea a
re p
artic
ular
ly s
ensi
tive.
Sou
th E
ast
Dor
set
is a
lso
rich
in a
reas
, site
s an
d st
ruct
ures
of
his
tori
c im
port
ance
and
the
re a
re a
num
ber
of d
esig
nate
d ar
chae
olog
ical
site
s. R
iver
Avo
n SA
C
drai
ns in
to C
hris
tchu
rch
Har
bour
. A
lthou
gh t
he lo
wer
rea
ches
are
less
sen
sitiv
e th
an t
he
head
wat
ers,
the
y st
ill n
eed
to b
e se
nsiti
vely
man
aged
.
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
56
JSA
/ Sp
atia
l Str
ateg
y A
reas
Su
stai
nabi
lity
char
acte
rist
ics/
issu
es li
kely
to
be s
igni
fican
tly
affe
cted
by
RSS
5.
The
coa
stal
and
top
ogra
phic
al n
atur
e of
Sou
th E
ast
Dor
set
mea
ns t
hat
sea
leve
l ris
e an
d co
asta
l (as
w
ell a
s flu
vial
) flo
od r
isk
are
also
sig
nific
ant
thre
ats.
Tid
al, f
luvi
al a
nd g
roun
dwat
er fl
ood
risk
has
bee
n id
entif
ied
by t
he R
SS fl
ood
risk
rev
iew
as
a si
gnifi
cant
issu
e in
the
Chr
istc
hurc
h / M
uddi
ford
are
a.
Was
te w
ater
tre
atm
ent
at S
alis
bury
leve
l is
curr
ently
at
‘Bes
t A
vaila
ble
Tec
hnol
ogy’
for
phos
phat
e re
mov
al -
any
red
uctio
n w
ill b
e di
fficu
lt.
T
he W
este
rn P
enin
sula
r SS
CT
s: P
lym
outh
, Tor
bay,
the
mai
n C
orni
sh T
owns
of C
ambo
rne-
Pool
-Red
ruth
, Fal
mou
th-P
enry
n an
d T
ruro
(an
d th
e as
soci
ated
tow
ns o
f Pen
zanc
e, N
ewqu
ay a
nd S
t. A
uste
ll), B
arns
tapl
e (a
nd t
he a
ssoc
iate
d to
wn
of B
idef
ord/
Nor
tham
). Pl
ymou
th, S
outh
Eas
t C
ornw
all a
nd
Sout
h W
est
Dev
on
1.
The
Ply
mou
th, S
outh
Eas
t C
ornw
all a
nd S
outh
Wes
t D
evon
JSA
is s
trat
egic
ally
loca
ted
at t
he c
entr
e of
the
far
Sout
h W
est,
stra
ddlin
g th
e bo
rder
bet
wee
n D
evon
and
Cor
nwal
l. P
lym
outh
, with
a
popu
latio
n of
245
,000
, lie
s at
the
hea
rt o
f thi
s ar
ea.
The
are
a al
so in
corp
orat
es t
owns
acr
oss
the
Tam
ar V
alle
y in
Eas
tern
Cor
nwal
l, pr
inci
pally
, Sal
tash
and
Tor
poin
t. S
alta
sh, T
orpo
int,
Tav
isto
ck,
Ivyb
ridg
e an
d to
a le
sser
ext
ent
Lisk
eard
, all
rela
te t
o Pl
ymou
th a
s th
e m
ain
dest
inat
ion
for
empl
oym
ent
oppo
rtun
ities
, ser
vice
s, c
ompa
riso
n sh
oppi
ng a
nd le
isur
e. T
he s
urro
undi
ng s
ettle
men
ts
in t
he n
eigh
bour
ing
tow
ns in
Sou
th E
ast
Cor
nwal
l, W
est
Dev
on a
nd S
outh
Ham
s pl
ay a
n im
port
ant
role
bot
h to
Ply
mou
th’s
futu
re a
s w
ell a
s in
the
ir o
wn
righ
t th
roug
h m
ore
bala
nced
, sus
tain
able
co
mm
uniti
es, a
lbei
t at
a s
mal
ler
scal
e.
2.
Plym
outh
has
exp
erie
nced
wav
es o
f dev
elop
men
t. T
he d
efen
ce s
ecto
r w
hich
has
tra
ditio
nally
bee
n se
en a
s an
impo
rtan
t so
urce
of e
mpl
oym
ent
and
inco
me
alon
gsid
e m
anuf
actu
ring
has
dec
lined
, whi
lst
the
mar
ine
tech
nolo
gy, t
rans
port
, com
mun
icat
ions
and
fina
ncia
l sec
tors
hav
e gr
own.
Tou
rism
is a
lso
of s
ome
impo
rtan
ce.
3.
A r
elat
ivel
y hi
gh p
ropo
rtio
n of
Ply
mou
th r
esid
ents
exp
erie
nce
depr
ivat
ion
(19
of t
he 9
8 m
ost
depr
ived
SO
As
in t
he r
egio
n) in
ter
ms
of in
com
e, e
mpl
oym
ent,
acce
ss t
o se
rvic
es a
nd h
ealth
. So
me
mea
sure
s of
edu
catio
nal a
chie
vem
ent
in s
choo
l and
voc
atio
nal q
ualif
icat
ions
are
low
. T
his
may
be
asso
ciat
ed w
ith a
n ou
tflow
of y
oung
er p
eopl
e an
d th
e lim
ited
avai
labi
lity
of jo
bs fo
r hi
ghly
qua
lifie
d pe
ople
.
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
57
JSA
/ Sp
atia
l Str
ateg
y A
reas
Su
stai
nabi
lity
char
acte
rist
ics/
issu
es li
kely
to
be s
igni
fican
tly
affe
cted
by
RSS
4.
In t
erm
s of
tra
nspo
rt, P
lym
outh
is o
n Fi
rst
Gre
at W
este
rn In
ter-
City
line
and
con
nect
ed t
o th
e M
5 by
A38
. Pl
ymou
th a
lso
has
an a
irpo
rt.
5.
Plym
outh
is s
urro
unde
d by
land
scap
e of
nat
iona
l im
port
ance
, inc
ludi
ng t
he C
ornw
al C
oast
, Tam
ar
Val
ley
and
Sout
h D
evon
AO
NBs
and
ove
rloo
ked
by D
artm
oor
Nat
iona
l Par
k to
the
nor
th.
The
re is
a
wea
lth o
f nat
ure
cons
erva
tion
site
s, d
esig
nate
d fo
r th
eir
biol
ogic
al o
r ge
olog
ical
impo
rtan
ce in
and
ar
ound
the
City
. Si
tes
incl
ude
Plym
outh
Sou
nd a
nd E
stua
ries
whi
ch a
re c
andi
date
Spe
cial
Are
as o
f C
onse
rvat
ion,
the
Tam
ar E
stua
ries
Com
plex
, def
ined
as
a Sp
ecia
l Pro
tect
ion
Are
a as
wel
l as
seve
ral
SSSI
s. A
lthou
gh t
he P
lym
is n
ot d
esig
nate
d it
drai
ns t
o Pl
ymou
th S
ound
and
Est
uari
es S
AC
.
6.
Plym
outh
is e
xtre
mel
y im
port
ant
in t
erm
s of
its
hist
ory
and
arch
aeol
ogic
al h
erita
ge, p
artic
ular
ly it
s na
val p
rese
nce.
The
City
suf
fere
d fr
om t
he d
evas
tatio
n of
the
Sec
ond
Wor
ld W
ar r
esul
ting
in r
adic
al
and
visi
onar
y po
st w
ar p
lans
to
recl
aim
site
s an
d re
duce
ove
rcro
wdi
ng.
Plan
s fo
r su
burb
an a
reas
in
clud
ed t
he c
reat
ion
of o
pen
spac
es t
hrou
gh v
alle
ys w
ith r
esid
entia
l are
as a
long
the
hill
side
s w
hich
ar
e to
pped
by
indu
stri
al d
evel
opm
ent,
play
ing
field
s an
d sc
hool
s. T
hese
cha
nges
hav
e re
sulte
d in
ver
y di
stin
ctiv
e ar
eas
rang
ing
from
the
bus
ines
s se
ctor
and
wat
erfr
ont
to o
uter
sub
urbs
of N
orth
Pl
ymst
ock,
Ern
eset
tle a
nd M
utle
y.
7.
Som
e ar
eas
are
at r
isk
of fl
uvia
l and
/or
coas
tal f
lood
ing.
Flo
od r
isk
in P
lym
outh
ari
ses
from
a
com
bina
tion
of t
idal
and
fluv
ial f
lood
ing
and
loca
l sur
face
wat
er p
robl
ems
in h
ighl
y ur
bani
sed
catc
hmen
ts.
Expo
sed
shor
elin
es a
re a
lso
vuln
erab
le t
o w
ave
actio
n.
Tor
bay
1.
The
Tor
bay
and
Sout
h D
evon
sub
-reg
ion
cent
res
on t
he P
rinc
ipal
Urb
an A
rea
of T
orba
y –
with
a
popu
latio
n of
app
roxi
mat
ely
130,
000.
New
ton
Abb
ot is
the
larg
est
and
mos
t st
rate
gica
lly im
port
ant
tow
n w
ithin
the
sub
-reg
ion,
out
side
the
Uni
tary
Aut
hori
ty o
f Tor
bay.
2.
Tou
rism
is a
key
ele
men
t in
the
eco
nom
y of
the
ent
ire
area
, and
as
a co
nseq
uenc
e, t
he p
opul
atio
n of
th
e su
b-re
gion
ris
es fr
om a
bout
200
,000
in t
he w
inte
r to
300
,000
at
the
heig
ht o
f the
hol
iday
sea
son
in A
ugus
t. T
orqu
ay, P
aign
ton
and
Brix
ham
com
pris
e w
hat
is c
omm
only
ter
med
the
‘Eng
lish
Riv
iera
’.
Oth
er k
ey in
dust
ries
are
fish
ing
(bas
ed in
Bri
xham
), a
muc
h re
duce
d hi
-tec
h se
ctor
(ba
sed
in
Tor
quay
, Pai
gnto
n an
d Br
ixha
m),
a sm
all m
anuf
actu
ring
sec
tor
mai
nly
com
pris
ing
smal
l loc
al
com
pani
es, f
ood
man
ufac
ture
(th
roug
hout
) an
d en
gine
erin
g (m
ainl
y co
ncen
trat
ed in
New
ton
Abb
ot).
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
58
JSA
/ Sp
atia
l Str
ateg
y A
reas
Su
stai
nabi
lity
char
acte
rist
ics/
issu
es li
kely
to
be s
igni
fican
tly
affe
cted
by
RSS
Agr
icul
ture
is a
lso
a si
gnifi
cant
em
ploy
er.
3.
The
re is
an
exce
ptio
nally
hig
h ne
ed fo
r af
ford
able
hou
sing
in t
he T
orba
y an
d So
uth
Dev
on s
ub-
regi
on.
The
re is
a s
igni
fican
t ga
p be
twee
n ho
use
pric
es a
nd lo
w lo
cal w
ages
. In
-mig
ratio
n,
part
icul
arly
of r
etir
ed p
eopl
e, t
hrea
tens
to
wor
sen
the
affo
rdab
ility
gap
for
loca
l peo
ple.
Tor
bay
is
char
acte
rise
d by
rel
ativ
ely
high
-den
sity
dev
elop
men
t. T
his
has
perh
aps
been
forc
ed b
y th
e na
tura
l co
nstr
aint
s pl
aced
on
the
area
by
its s
urro
undi
ng g
eogr
aphy
. T
he s
teep
top
ogra
phy
whi
ch m
akes
fu
rthe
r de
velo
pmen
t pr
oble
mat
ic w
ithin
the
tow
ns a
nd t
he s
ea fo
rms
an a
bsol
ute
barr
ier
to g
row
th
to t
he e
ast.
The
land
scap
e an
d na
ture
con
serv
atio
n de
sign
atio
ns w
hich
sur
roun
d th
e to
wns
als
o re
stri
ct fu
rthe
r gr
owth
.
4.
The
are
a is
mar
ked
by it
s pe
riph
eral
loca
tion,
tho
ugh
Tor
quay
and
Pai
gnto
n ar
e w
ell s
erve
d by
rai
l.
How
ever
the
roa
d lin
ks in
to T
orqu
ay fr
om E
xete
r, in
par
ticul
ar, s
uffe
r fr
om h
eavy
con
gest
ion.
All
of
the
sub-
regi
on is
eco
nom
ical
ly d
isad
vant
aged
. T
he d
iver
sity
of b
usin
ess
type
s is
lim
ited
and
sign
ifica
nt
relia
nce
is p
lace
d up
on s
easo
nal w
ork.
Con
sequ
ently
the
Dis
tric
t ex
hibi
ts a
rel
ativ
ely
high
un
empl
oym
ent
rate
, whi
lst
wag
es a
re lo
w.
5.
The
den
sity
of d
wel
lings
in T
eign
brid
ge is
slig
htly
bel
ow t
he r
egio
nal a
nd n
atio
nal a
vera
ge.
Car
ow
ners
hip
in T
eign
brid
ge is
hig
h an
d ab
ove
the
natio
nal a
vera
ge, w
ith a
hig
h pr
opor
tion
of w
orke
rs
com
mut
ing
by c
ar.
The
use
of p
ublic
tra
nspo
rt t
o tr
avel
to
wor
k is
als
o w
ell b
elow
the
nat
iona
l av
erag
e –
a re
flect
ion
of t
he a
vaila
bilit
y of
pub
lic t
rans
port
.
6.
Sout
h H
ams
is c
hara
cter
ised
by
a la
ck o
f acc
ess
to s
ervi
ces
such
as
scho
ols
and
shop
s, in
man
y to
wns
an
d vi
llage
s an
d th
is c
an c
reat
e pr
oble
ms
of r
ural
isol
atio
n, p
artic
ular
ly fo
r th
ose
with
out
acce
ss t
o a
car.
How
ever
, the
mar
ket
tow
ns o
f Tot
nes
and
Dar
tmou
th p
lay
an im
port
ant
role
in t
erm
s of
se
rvic
e pr
ovis
ion.
For
ecas
ts o
f gro
wth
in t
he n
umbe
r of
car
s pe
r ho
useh
old
and
car
trip
gen
erat
ion
in S
outh
Ham
s ar
e gr
eate
r th
an t
hose
for
Dev
on a
s a
who
le, a
nd t
his
is r
efle
cted
in t
he p
ropo
rtio
n of
ho
useh
olds
with
tw
o or
mor
e ca
rs.
The
re is
a h
igh
prop
ortio
n of
sec
ond
hom
e ow
ners
hip
(12%
) w
ith c
onse
quen
t is
sues
for
prov
isio
n of
affo
rdab
le h
ousi
ng a
nd t
he s
usta
inab
ility
of l
ocal
com
mun
ities
.
7.
Muc
h of
the
are
a is
cov
ered
by
land
scap
e de
sign
atio
ns, i
nclu
ding
the
Sou
th D
evon
AO
NB,
and
the
su
b-re
gion
als
o fr
inge
s th
e D
artm
oor
Nat
iona
l Par
k. O
utsi
de o
f the
AO
NB,
oth
er d
esig
natio
ns
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
59
JSA
/ Sp
atia
l Str
ateg
y A
reas
Su
stai
nabi
lity
char
acte
rist
ics/
issu
es li
kely
to
be s
igni
fican
tly
affe
cted
by
RSS
incl
ude
Are
as o
f Gre
at L
ands
cape
Val
ue (
AG
LV),
Coa
stal
Pre
serv
atio
n A
rea,
a r
ange
of s
igni
fican
t w
ildlif
e co
nser
vatio
n zo
nes,
hig
h qu
ality
agr
icul
tura
l lan
d, a
nd im
port
ant
min
eral
res
erve
s. T
his
mea
ns t
hat
man
y gr
owth
opt
ions
are
sev
erel
y co
nstr
aine
d.
8.
Floo
d pl
ain
in t
he a
rea
is li
mite
d in
ext
ent
but
risk
s ar
e hi
gh fr
om s
urfa
ce w
ater
and
can
be
acut
e w
ith h
igh
velo
citie
s ca
usin
g pa
rtic
ular
haz
ards
. In
tens
ifyin
g de
velo
pmen
t in
Tor
bay
coul
d fa
cilit
ate
the
impr
ovem
ent
of in
adeq
uate
infr
astr
uctu
re a
nd r
educ
e ri
sk. H
eadw
ater
dev
elop
men
ts w
ill n
eed
very
hi
gh s
tand
ards
of r
unof
f man
agem
ent
to p
reve
nt r
isks
incr
easi
ng d
owns
trea
m.
Cor
nish
Tow
ns a
nd Is
les
of S
cilly
1.
Fo
r re
ason
s of
its
geog
raph
y an
d se
ttle
men
t pa
tter
n, t
he c
hara
cter
istic
s an
d th
us c
halle
nges
in
plan
ning
for
sust
aina
ble
deve
lopm
ent
are
dist
inct
ly d
iffer
ent
in C
ornw
all f
rom
els
ewhe
re in
the
re
gion
. T
he p
atte
rn o
f dev
elop
men
t is
sca
tter
ed w
ith n
o si
ngle
‘cen
tre’
and
ove
r ha
lf of
the
po
pula
tion
live
eith
er in
sm
all t
owns
with
pop
ulat
ions
of l
ess
than
10,
000
or in
vill
ages
and
ham
lets
. T
he c
ount
y is
exp
erie
ncin
g hi
gh le
vels
of p
opul
atio
n gr
owth
, mai
nly
as a
res
ult
of in
-mig
ratio
n, a
nd
the
futu
re o
f Cor
nwal
l’s e
cono
my
relie
s up
on r
etai
ning
its
youn
ger
peop
le a
nd a
ttra
ctin
g ec
onom
ical
ly a
ctiv
e in
-mig
rant
s. T
he c
halle
nge
in C
ornw
all w
ill b
e to
acc
omm
odat
e an
incr
ease
in
popu
latio
n an
d pl
an fo
r su
stai
nabl
e de
velo
pmen
t in
the
abs
ence
of a
sin
gle
cent
re.
2.
Whi
le h
avin
g a
gene
rally
dis
pers
ed s
ettle
men
t pa
tter
n, e
vide
nce
show
s th
at t
he 1
6 to
wns
in C
ornw
all
– 14
of w
hich
are
with
in t
he ‘C
orni
sh T
owns
and
Isle
s of
Sci
lly O
bjec
tive
1 A
rea’
– p
lay
an im
port
ant
role
of p
rovi
ding
em
ploy
men
t, se
rvic
es a
nd a
fford
able
hou
sing
in t
he C
ount
y. T
hese
tow
ns a
re
stro
ngly
inte
rrel
ated
and
func
tion
pred
omin
antly
in n
etw
orks
rat
her
than
as
stan
d al
one
sett
lem
ents
.
3.
Som
e of
the
tow
ns s
tand
out
as
havi
ng p
artic
ular
ly s
tron
g em
ploy
men
t an
d se
rvic
es r
oles
. Tru
ro in
pa
rtic
ular
is t
he c
ount
y’s
mai
n em
ploy
men
t an
d re
tail
cent
re a
lthou
gh in
ter
ms
of p
opul
atio
n it
is o
nly
the
four
th la
rges
t to
wn.
Cam
born
e-Po
ol-R
edru
th (
CPR
), St
Aus
tell
and
Falm
outh
-Pen
ryn
also
pla
y pr
omin
ent
busi
ness
and
em
ploy
men
t ro
les
and
Falm
outh
-Pen
ryn
is t
he h
ub c
ampu
s fo
r th
e C
ombi
ned
Uni
vers
ities
of C
ornw
all w
hich
has
col
lege
s in
Tru
ro, S
t. A
uste
ll, N
ewqu
ay a
nd C
PR.
Penz
ance
, Fal
mou
th-P
enry
n an
d St
Aus
tell
are
stro
ng s
ervi
ce r
etai
l cen
tres
and
Pen
zanc
e fu
nctio
ns a
s th
e m
ain
serv
ice
cent
re fo
r th
ose
in t
he fa
r w
est
of t
he c
ount
y.
4.
The
re is
a p
artic
ular
ly t
ight
net
wor
k be
twee
n T
ruro
, CPR
and
Fal
mou
th-P
enry
n w
ith p
artic
ular
ly
SSA
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60
JSA
/ Sp
atia
l Str
ateg
y A
reas
Su
stai
nabi
lity
char
acte
rist
ics/
issu
es li
kely
to
be s
igni
fican
tly
affe
cted
by
RSS
heav
y co
mm
utin
g flo
ws
betw
een
the
thre
e. In
tot
al, 8
1% o
f eco
nom
ical
ly a
ctiv
e pe
ople
livi
ng in
the
th
ree
tow
ns w
ork
in o
ne o
f the
m. T
hese
thr
ee t
owns
als
o at
trac
ts la
rge
inflo
ws
of e
mpl
oyee
s fr
om
else
whe
re in
the
cou
nty4
5 .
5.
Plan
ning
for
Cor
nwal
l als
o ta
kes
plac
e in
the
con
text
of a
ric
h na
tura
l env
iron
men
t bu
t re
lativ
ely
poor
eco
nom
y. T
he G
ross
Dom
estic
Pro
duct
in C
ornw
all i
s m
ore
than
10%
bel
ow t
hat
of t
he S
outh
W
est
as a
who
le a
nd e
mpl
oym
ent
is g
ener
ally
low
wag
ed a
nd s
ubje
ct t
o se
ason
al v
aria
tion
– ty
pica
l fe
atur
es o
f an
econ
omy
that
is h
eavi
ly d
epen
dent
upo
n to
uris
m a
nd s
mal
l to
med
ium
siz
ed
busi
ness
es. C
ornw
all f
aces
an
acut
e la
ck o
f affo
rdab
le h
ousi
ng a
nd n
o br
oad
area
s pr
ovid
e ho
usin
g af
ford
able
to
thos
e on
ave
rage
inco
mes
.
6.
The
Tin
ney
is a
pro
blem
dra
inag
e ca
tchm
ent
with
flas
hy u
rban
ised
run
-off
lead
ing
to lo
cal f
lood
ing
hots
pots
. Fur
ther
dev
elop
men
t w
ill n
eed
tight
con
trol
s on
run
-off.
At
Falm
outh
, run
-off
from
he
adw
ater
dev
elop
men
t in
min
or c
atch
men
ts t
hrou
gh P
enry
n w
ill n
eed
atte
nuat
ion.
45
Cor
nwal
l Tow
ns S
tudy
. La
nd U
se C
onsu
ltant
s, D
ecem
ber
2005
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 61
5. SSA FRAMEWORK
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SSA OBJECTIVES 5.1. The review of the Regional Sustainable Development Framework46 (RSDF)
provides the basic framework for undertaking the SSA. The RSDF reflects both national policies and specific regional issues and concerns, drew on a wide range of expertise and extensive consultation, and was endorsed by key regional organisations including the Regional Assembly. The SSA team selected and adapted material from the RSDF to work best as appraisal objectives in the following ways:
• Avoiding repetition.
• Emphasising issues which an RSS can potentially influence.
• Meeting the requirements, in terms of topic coverage, of the SEA Directive.
• Using a two tier structure with broad ‘high level objectives’ amplified and explained by more specific ‘detailed questions’: other appraisals have found this helps make the results clear and allows the SSA to be carried out at different levels of detail as appropriate.
• Seeking a middle way between having so many objectives that appraisal becomes unmanageable and no patterns can be seen, and having so few that important issues are missed or each objective becomes too broad to provide a meaningful test.
• Reflecting recent policy developments, notably the concern over (un)healthy lifestyles, increasing acknowledgement of the seriousness of climate change, and the ‘happiness debate’ - that is, the growing interest in which kinds of economic development and activity increase human wellbeing.
• Specifying outcomes (ends) rather than inputs or outputs (means).
5.2. The SSA Framework underpins all the work undertaken on the SSA. The SSA Framework is set out in Table 5.1 and comprises six ‘high level objectives’, which are adapted from the principles and objectives set out in the RSDF and were discussed and agreed with SSASG members in early 2004.
Outcome objectives 5.3. It may come as a surprise not to see in the list familiar objectives such as
building on brownfield land, developing renewable energy, increasing recycling or economic growth. They are not included because they are means rather than ends. The RSS is likely to include all these objectives, and policies to
46 A Sustainable Future for the South West. South West Regional Assembly, and Sustainability South West, 2001.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 62
promote them. But that does not mean they should also be SSA objectives. The job of appraisal is to test that the policies and objectives in the draft RSS really will help achieve the results that they are intended (or assumed) to. To achieve this, objectives are framed (so far as possible) in terms of outcomes. This means there will not necessarily be an objective corresponding to each theme or policy of the draft RSS.
5.4. For example, the point of building housing on ‘brownfield’ rather than ‘greenfield’ land is to clean up and regenerate derelict or degraded environments, to save soils, landscape and wildlife from being lost to development, and to encourage development within urban areas (where amenities are accessible with less travel). The SSA should therefore ask not how much development is being delivered on brownfield land, but whether those objectives are being achieved. Appraisal objectives 2.4, 5.2, 5.3, and 6.5 in Table 5.1 are all relevant to this.
5.5. Likewise, renewable energy is one means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – energy efficiency is another. Recycling is one means to reduce waste – avoiding it at source, reuse and composting are others. Economic growth is a means to provide people with a better lifestyle – but reducing what people need to spend, and encouraging unpaid services and benefits, are others. In all these cases, the SSA can test whether policies are delivering what is wanted – and prompt the draft RSS to consider additional or alternative ways. This helps fulfil an important requirement of SEA, which is to consider alternatives to the plan under consideration.
Getting the best overall result: the role of substitution 5.6. As the focus on outcome objectives implies, sustainability appraisal is
concerned with getting the best possible overall result. In some cases this requires protection of unique individual assets. For example, damage to the special urban character of Bath, Totnes or Truro, or the special character of Dartmoor or the Somerset Levels, would be a loss that nothing else could make up for. But many negative impacts could be offset by positive impacts of the same kind. For example, an increase in potable water demand due to new housing development could be offset by any action that reduced demand within the same catchment, including measures off site such as retrofitting water efficiency measures in other houses or businesses in the same catchment.
5.7. Likewise, development that deprived people of recreational open space could in principle be substituted by opening up another area for recreational use - provided it was equally accessible to the people who lost out, and was at least as suitable for their recreational uses. As these two examples show, the kind and location of a genuine like-for-like substitution of a benefit will vary with the nature of the benefit. For social or community amenities, substitution must be at least as accessible to users as the asset lost or damaged. In contrast, greenhouse gas emissions can in principle be substituted anywhere in the world.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 63
5.8. The SSA has welcomed and encouraged this kind of strategic substitution of benefits as a valuable way to reconcile potentially conflicting objectives by building offsetting actions into the development ‘package’. Planning obligations (‘section 106 agreements’), the scope and use of which are currently under review by Government, can sometimes be used to secure this kind of substitution of benefits. The Quality of Life Assessment process developed and endorsed by the Countryside Agency, English Heritage, English Nature and the Environment Agency, offers a transparent and systematic way to identify the benefits that matter and define conditions, including like-for-like substitution, under which they can be maintained. The SSA process welcomed use of methods like these in the draft RSS.
The role of SSA 5.9. Outcome objectives derived from sustainability principles may test and
challenge policies in some areas, for example transport. This is right and proper. SSA is not just a test of consistency with current Government policies: it should aim to help the RSS work towards sustainability. According to the internationally accepted ‘classic’ definitions, sustainable development is about reconciling a human aspiration – ‘meeting the needs of the present’, or ‘improving the quality of life’ – with a constraint: ‘not compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’, or ‘living within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems.’ Appraisal needs to identify points where promoting one of these aims threatens another.
5.10. It should also always be remembered that SSA is only a tool. It does not make decisions. Inclusion of an SSA criterion (for example on reducing air or road transport) does not instantly veto all road or air travel expansion. All it does is ensure that the full range of sustainability consequences of options or choices are made clear so that ultimately political choices about policies can take these into account.
5.11. Table 5.1 has five columns. The first gives the six high level objectives for the SSA, the second a total of 31 more detailed questions applying these objectives. The third column gives further explanation of the question, or the reason for asking it (where these are not obvious), and the fourth suggests the sorts of things the SSA looked for in the draft RSS and sub-regional strategies, policies and proposals to answer the detailed question. It must be stressed these are only indicative examples. They are not the only or necessarily the best ways to achieve the results, will not be appropriate or even possible in all circumstances, often need actions that go beyond the scope of a RSS, and may be limited or sacrificed for the sake of other policy objectives. The fifth column lists the relevant plans, programmes and strategies that have been reviewed in relation to the high level objectives (discussed in Chapter 3 and set out in Appendix A2).
5.12. The numbers before each objective or question are for convenience referring to them in this SSA. The numbers in brackets after them refer to the RSDF. PX means principle X in the list under 2.2 of the RSDF; Y means theme number Y under 2.3 in the RSDF; Y.Z means objective number Z under theme Y.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 64
Coverage of SEA topics by SSA Framework 5.13. The SEA Directive requires a number of issues (SEA topics) to be covered
when assessing the likely significant effects on the environment (Annex 1 f)). The SEA compliance check of the Stage 1 Scoping Final Report47, confirmed that the SEA topics have been covered by the objectives in the SSA Framework set out in Table 5.1, as follows (numbers = SSA objectives relevant to the SEA topic):
• Biodiversity 5.1
• Population 2.1, 2.4, 3.1-3.3, 5.4
• Human health 1.1-1.3, 2.1, 2.3, 4.5
• Fauna 5.1
• Flora 5.1
• Soil 5.2, 6.5
• Water 6.5
• Air 4.1-4.5, 6.5
• Climate 3.6, 4.1-4.5, 5.6, 6.1
• Material assets 3.2, 3.4, 5.6, 6.1-6.4
• Cultural heritage 2.5, 5.4, 5.5
• Landscape 5.3, 5.4
REVIEW OF SW SSA FRAMEWORK TO CHECK COMPLIANCE WITH NEW UK SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
5.14. A meeting of the SSASG in May 2005 decided that the SSA team should assess the SW SSA Framework to ensure it complied with the new UK Sustainable Development Strategy. The SSA team did this in the form of a note back to the SSASG in October 2005, which is included as Appendix A5. This concluded that:
• There is no significant inconsistency between the SW SSA Framework and Securing the Future’s objectives.
• The SW SSA objectives support those of Securing the Future.
• It would be possible to change the SW SSA Framework to make it reflect Securing the Future’s terminology more obviously and explicitly. However this would be unlikely to make plan appraisals significantly more
47 This was undertaken in June 2004 by Professor Riki Therivel of Oxford Brookes University and Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 65
supportive of Securing the Future than they already are. It was agreed that the work involved in negotiating and securing regional stakeholder ‘buy-in’ to a revised set could not be justified.
• As and when the SW SSA Framework needs to be reviewed or changed for any other reasons, it would increase administrative tidiness for it to adopt more of the wording and classification of Securing the Future. However this is not likely to make much difference to its practical effects.
SSA
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he d
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Tab
le 5
.1: S
SA F
ram
ewor
k
Hig
h le
vel
obje
ctiv
e D
etai
led
ques
tion
s:
does
the
pol
icy
/ pr
opos
al .
. .
Exp
lana
tion
of t
he d
etai
led
ques
tion
(w
here
not
obv
ious
) W
hat
SSA
will
look
for
R
elev
ant
Pla
ns, P
rogr
amm
es a
nd
Stra
tegi
es r
evie
wed
(se
e A
ppen
dix
A3)
1.1
Impr
ove
heal
th (P
7,
1.1)
A
cces
s to
sic
knes
s tr
eatm
ent
serv
ices
con
trib
utes
, but
hea
lth is
m
ore
than
thi
s.
Dev
elop
men
t th
at c
ontr
ibut
es t
o po
sitiv
e w
ellb
eing
, thr
ough
(eg)
ple
asan
t su
rrou
ndin
gs a
nd li
ving
con
ditio
ns,
free
dom
from
noi
se a
nd p
ollu
tion,
and
en
ablin
g lif
esty
les
free
from
str
ess,
an
xiet
y an
d ex
haus
tion.
1.
2 R
educ
e he
alth
in
equa
litie
s (1
.2)
Low
er in
com
e (o
r ot
her
disa
dvan
tage
) sho
uld
not
incr
ease
ex
posu
re t
o he
alth
ris
ks o
r re
duce
ac
cess
to
a he
alth
y lif
esty
le
Dev
elop
men
t th
at a
void
s ex
posi
ng
poor
er p
eopl
e to
(eg)
mor
e po
llutio
n or
no
ise,
and
tha
t gi
ve a
ll ac
cess
to
leis
ure
and
recr
eatio
n.
1: Im
prov
e he
alth
(1)
1.3
Pro
mot
e he
alth
y lif
esty
les,
esp
ecia
lly
rout
ine
daily
exe
rcis
e
Sede
ntar
y lif
esty
les
and
lack
of
rout
ine
basi
c ex
erci
se a
re o
ne o
f th
e m
ain
thre
ats
to h
ealth
Patt
erns
of d
evel
opm
ent
that
mak
e w
alki
ng a
nd c
yclin
g ea
sy a
nd a
ttra
ctiv
e as
rou
tine
met
hods
of t
rans
port
Var
ious
at
Sout
h W
est
Publ
ic H
ealth
O
bser
vato
ry (
ww
w.s
wph
o.or
g.uk
) Se
e R
SDF
(htt
p://w
ww
.sou
thw
est-
ra.g
ov.u
k/sw
ra/d
ownl
oads
/our
wor
k/su
stai
nab
lede
velo
pmen
t/do
wnl
oad_
docu
men
ts/M
ovin
g_in
_the
_Rig
ht_D
irec
tion.
pdf)
whi
ch
cont
ains
dat
a on
infa
nt m
orta
lity
by
depr
ivat
ion
cate
gory
.
2: S
uppo
rt
com
mun
ities
th
at m
eet
peop
le’s
ne
eds
(P6)
2.1
Hel
p m
ake
suita
ble
hous
ing
avai
labl
e an
d af
ford
able
for
ever
yone
(6
.2, 4
.4)
M
atch
of h
ousi
ng t
o ho
useh
olds
; cos
t of
ap
prop
riat
e ho
usin
g re
lativ
e to
di
spos
able
inco
mes
esp
ecia
lly fo
r le
ss
wel
l off
peop
le; w
heth
er p
eopl
e ar
e fo
rced
to
mov
e aw
ay fr
om t
heir
cho
sen
com
mun
ities
or
wor
kpla
ces
to a
fford
ho
usin
g.
Sust
aini
ng S
ucce
ss –
Sus
tain
abili
ty E
duca
tion
in t
he S
outh
Wes
t So
uth
Wes
t R
egio
nal H
ousi
ng S
trat
egy
2002
-20
05
Sout
h W
est
Reg
iona
l Hou
sing
Str
ateg
y 20
05-
2016
SSA
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he d
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67
Hig
h le
vel
obje
ctiv
e D
etai
led
ques
tion
s:
does
the
pol
icy
/ pr
opos
al .
. .
Exp
lana
tion
of t
he d
etai
led
ques
tion
(w
here
not
obv
ious
) W
hat
SSA
will
look
for
R
elev
ant
Pla
ns, P
rogr
amm
es a
nd
Stra
tegi
es r
evie
wed
(se
e A
ppen
dix
A3)
2.2
Giv
e ev
eryo
ne a
cces
s to
lear
ning
, tra
inin
g, s
kills
an
d kn
owle
dge
(P5)
Impo
rtan
t bo
th t
o eq
uip
peop
le fo
r ec
onom
ic s
ucce
ss a
nd fo
r pe
rson
al
deve
lopm
ent.
The
ski
lls le
vels
of
the
Sout
h W
est
is lo
wer
tha
n th
e na
tiona
l ave
rage
, par
ticul
arly
in t
he
wes
tern
par
t of
the
reg
ion,
whi
ch
can
hold
bac
k pe
ople
from
ac
cess
ing
satis
fyin
g w
ork
oppo
rtun
ities
. T
he s
hort
age
of
affo
rdab
le h
ousi
ng in
rur
al a
reas
can
af
fect
sup
ply
of r
ural
ski
lls, f
or
exam
ple
in fa
rmin
g an
d fo
od
wor
kfor
ce, b
uild
ing,
and
ess
entia
l se
rvic
es.
Qua
lity
and
acce
ssib
ility
of s
choo
ls,
colle
ges,
libr
arie
s. E
ncou
rage
men
t fo
r a
dive
rsity
of c
hoic
e of
em
ploy
men
t, pa
rtic
ular
ly in
the
mor
e de
priv
ed p
arts
of
the
reg
ion,
and
edu
catio
nal a
nd o
ther
se
rvic
e pr
ovis
ion
(e.g
. Cen
tres
of
Exce
llenc
e fo
r Sk
ills)
as
part
of
rege
nera
tion
effo
rts.
Affo
rdab
le
hous
ing
for
key
wor
kers
.
Stra
tegi
c H
ousi
ng P
rior
ities
in t
he S
outh
W
est
Sust
aina
ble
Com
mun
ities
in t
he S
outh
Wes
t –
Build
ing
for
the
Futu
re
Sout
h W
est
Reg
iona
l Ass
embl
y (2
004)
. An
alys
is of
Com
mun
ity S
trate
gies
in th
e So
uth
Wes
t, Fi
nal R
epor
t C
ultu
re S
outh
Wes
t (2
003)
. In
sear
ch o
f Ch
unky
Dun
ster
s - A
Cul
tura
l Stra
tegy
for t
he
Sout
h W
est
2.3
Red
uce
crim
e an
d fe
ar o
f cri
me
(4.2
, 6.3
)
Dev
elop
men
t th
at d
esig
ns c
rim
e ou
t, eg
by
pro
vidi
ng p
assi
ve s
urve
illan
ce,
avoi
ding
‘dea
d’ s
pace
s an
d tim
es.
Loca
l Sus
tain
abili
ty G
roup
for
the
Sout
h W
est
(200
0).
Prom
otin
g Su
stai
nabl
e To
urism
in
the
Sout
h W
est,
A di
scus
sion
pape
r by
the
2.4
Pro
mot
e st
rong
er
mor
e vi
bran
t co
mm
uniti
es (2
.4, 6
.1)
For
exam
ple
by fo
ster
ing
mut
ual
trus
t, se
lf he
lp a
nd r
educ
ing
the
amou
nt p
eopl
e ne
ed t
o tr
avel
aw
ay
from
hom
e to
mee
t ne
eds.
C
omm
unity
invo
lvem
ent
in lo
cal
econ
omie
s (2
.4)
Patt
erns
of d
evel
opm
ent
that
allo
w
peop
le t
o m
eet
mor
e ne
eds
with
in lo
cal
com
mun
ities
and
red
uce
the
need
to
trav
el.
Supp
ort
for
loca
l tra
ding
sc
hem
es.
loca
l sus
tain
abilit
y gr
oup
for t
he S
outh
Wes
t
2.5
Incr
ease
acc
ess
to
and
part
icip
atio
n in
cu
ltura
l act
iviti
es (1
2.1,
12
.3, 1
4.3)
C
ultu
ral f
acili
ties
inte
gral
with
de
velo
pmen
t. D
evel
opm
ent
of
‘env
iron
men
t-ba
sed’
vis
itor
attr
actio
ns,
that
do
not
dam
age
the
reso
urce
the
y ar
e ba
sed
upon
.
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
68
Hig
h le
vel
obje
ctiv
e D
etai
led
ques
tion
s:
does
the
pol
icy
/ pr
opos
al .
. .
Exp
lana
tion
of t
he d
etai
led
ques
tion
(w
here
not
obv
ious
) W
hat
SSA
will
look
for
R
elev
ant
Pla
ns, P
rogr
amm
es a
nd
Stra
tegi
es r
evie
wed
(se
e A
ppen
dix
A3)
3.1
Giv
e ev
eryo
ne in
the
re
gion
acc
ess
to s
atis
fyin
g w
ork
oppo
rtun
ities
, pai
d or
unp
aid
(P2,
5.2
, 11.
1,
14.2
, 14.
3)
Wor
k sh
ould
pro
vide
sat
isfa
ctio
n as
w
ell a
s in
com
e - c
onsi
der
whe
ther
jo
bs a
re o
nes
peop
le w
ill W
AN
T t
o do
- ra
ther
tha
n H
AV
E to
do
beca
use
ther
e’s
noth
ing
else
.
Ava
ilabi
lity
of a
var
iety
of e
mpl
oym
ent
oppo
rtun
ities
tha
t di
ffere
nt p
eopl
e w
ill
find
attr
activ
e, a
nd t
hat
prov
ide
a su
ffici
ent
inco
me;
whe
ther
peo
ple
who
w
ant
to w
ork
outs
ide
the
cash
eco
nom
y ca
n do
so.
Pr
omot
ion
of m
ore
sust
aina
ble
year
-rou
nd t
ouri
sm,
part
icul
arly
in c
oast
al a
nd m
arke
t to
wns
.
3.2
Hel
p ev
eryo
ne a
fford
a
com
fort
able
sta
ndar
d of
liv
ing
Can
be
impr
oved
by
redu
cing
cas
h co
sts
- eg
need
to
trav
el. h
igh
fare
s,
high
hou
sing
cos
ts, o
r by
fost
erin
g co
mm
unity
sel
f hel
p to
mee
t ne
eds
- as
wel
l as
by in
crea
sing
inco
me.
3.
3 R
educ
e po
vert
y (1
.3)
and
inco
me
ineq
ualit
y (1
1.3)
Leve
lling
up
cash
inco
mes
hel
ps; s
o do
es r
educ
ing
the
disa
dvan
tage
ca
used
by
(eg)
not
bei
ng a
ble
to
affo
rd a
car
or
pay
for
com
mer
cial
ised
ser
vice
s.
Whe
ther
low
er in
com
es a
re e
noug
h to
bu
y a
reas
onab
le s
tand
ard
of li
ving
- ta
king
acc
ount
of (
eg) h
ousi
ng a
nd t
rave
l co
sts.
Avo
idan
ce o
f kin
ds o
f eco
nom
ic
deve
lopm
ent
that
(eg)
rai
se h
ousi
ng
cost
s or
mak
e pe
ople
on
low
er in
com
es
have
to
spen
d m
ore
on (e
g) c
ar t
rave
l or
buy
ing
serv
ices
com
mer
cial
ly t
hat
used
to
be p
ublic
or
mut
ual.
3.4
Mee
t lo
cal n
eeds
lo
cally
(P3
, 11.
2, 1
3.1,
13
.4, 1
3.4)
Con
trib
utes
to
resi
lienc
e an
d co
mm
unity
str
engt
h as
wel
l as
redu
cing
the
tra
nspo
rt a
nd e
nerg
y in
tens
ity o
f the
eco
nom
y
Mai
nten
ance
and
enh
ance
men
t of
bu
sine
sses
mee
ting
loca
l nee
ds.
En
cour
agem
ent
for
farm
ers’
mar
kets
an
d fa
rm s
hops
.
3: D
evel
op
the
econ
omy
in
way
s th
at
mee
t pe
ople
’s
need
s (P
2, 5
)
3.5
Incr
ease
the
ci
rcul
atio
n of
wea
lth
with
in t
he r
egio
n (2
.1,
2.2,
11.
2)
If bu
sine
sses
spe
nd m
ore
of t
heir
in
com
e on
goo
ds a
nd s
ervi
ces
with
in t
he r
egio
n, t
his
incr
ease
s th
e be
nefit
s of
bus
ines
s ac
tiviti
es t
o th
e re
gion
and
its
econ
omic
sec
urity
Prom
otio
n of
loca
l and
reg
iona
l mar
kets
in
goo
ds a
nd s
ervi
ces.
D
evel
opm
ent
of g
reat
er in
tegr
atio
n w
ithin
key
eco
nom
ic s
ecto
rs o
f the
re
gion
. En
cour
agem
ent
to lo
cal b
usin
esse
s,
espe
cial
ly m
icro
and
SM
Es t
hat
adop
t su
stai
nabl
e pr
actic
es.
Reg
iona
l Eco
nom
ic S
trat
egy
for
the
Sout
h W
est
of E
ngla
nd 2
003-
2012
R
egio
nal E
cono
mic
Str
ateg
y fo
r th
e So
uth
Wes
t of
Eng
land
200
6-20
15 D
raft
for
Con
sulta
tion
(Sep
200
5)
Sout
h W
est
Fram
ewor
k fo
r R
egio
nal
Empl
oym
ent
and
Skill
s A
ctio
n (F
RES
A).
Sout
h W
est
Engl
and
(200
4). T
owar
ds 2
015
- Sh
apin
g to
mor
row
’s to
urism
(a c
onsu
ltatio
n dr
aft
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
69
Hig
h le
vel
obje
ctiv
e D
etai
led
ques
tion
s:
does
the
pol
icy
/ pr
opos
al .
. .
Exp
lana
tion
of t
he d
etai
led
ques
tion
(w
here
not
obv
ious
) W
hat
SSA
will
look
for
R
elev
ant
Pla
ns, P
rogr
amm
es a
nd
Stra
tegi
es r
evie
wed
(se
e A
ppen
dix
A3)
3.6
Har
ness
the
ec
onom
ic p
oten
tial o
f the
co
ast
in a
sus
tain
able
way
(1
5.3)
The
coa
stlin
e of
the
Sou
th W
est
is
one
of t
he r
egio
n’s
grea
test
, but
m
ost
vuln
erab
le, a
sset
s, p
artic
ular
ly
in t
he li
ght
of c
limat
e ch
ange
.
Inte
grat
ed a
ppro
ache
s to
coa
stal
m
anag
emen
t th
at p
rovi
de fo
r cl
imat
e ch
ange
to
take
its
natu
ral c
ours
e w
here
po
ssib
le, c
aref
ul p
lann
ing
of p
ort
and
coas
tal t
own
deve
lopm
ent,
that
del
iver
s jo
bs t
hat
feed
off
but
do n
ot d
amag
e th
e en
viro
nmen
t, an
d by
kee
ping
the
‘wild
’ st
retc
hes
‘wild
’.
3.7
Red
uce
vuln
erab
ility
of
the
eco
nom
y to
cl
imat
e ch
ange
and
ha
rnes
s op
port
uniti
es
aris
ing
(3.3
)
Extr
eme
wea
ther
, cro
p fa
ilure
s,
wat
er s
hort
ages
at
hom
e or
abr
oad
may
dis
rupt
tra
de, l
ong
dist
ance
tr
ansp
ort
and
avai
labi
lity
of e
nerg
y an
d ot
her
reso
urce
s, a
nd in
crea
se
insu
ranc
e lia
bilit
ies.
Sou
th W
est
may
bec
ome
mor
e at
trac
tive
to
visi
tors
and
bus
ines
s.
Econ
omic
pat
tern
s th
at a
void
un
nece
ssar
y de
pend
ence
on
long
di
stan
ce t
rade
and
tra
vel.
Vis
itor
and
recr
eatio
n de
velo
pmen
ts t
hat
will
en
cour
age
peop
le t
o st
ay/v
isit
the
Sout
h W
est
rath
er t
han
go fu
rthe
r af
ield
.
4: P
rovi
de
acce
ss t
o m
eet
peop
le’s
ne
eds
with
le
ast
dam
age
to
com
mun
ities
an
d th
e en
viro
nmen
t (9
)
4.1
Red
uce
the
need
/des
ire
to t
rave
l by
car
(2.3
, 9.1
, 14.
1)
Roa
d tr
affic
is t
he o
nly
maj
or
terr
estr
ial s
ourc
e of
gre
enho
use
emis
sion
s st
ill in
crea
sing
, the
mai
n so
urce
of l
ocal
air
pol
lutio
n, a
nd
iden
tifie
d in
cou
ntle
ss s
urve
ys a
s on
e of
the
mai
n th
reat
s to
loca
l qu
ality
of l
ife t
hrou
gh d
ange
r, n
oise
, vi
brat
ion
and
com
mun
ity s
ever
ance
. C
ar d
epen
denc
e de
epen
s so
cial
ex
clus
ion
and
adds
to
pres
sure
s fo
r un
sust
aina
ble
land
use
pat
tern
s.
Dev
elop
men
t pa
tter
ns t
hat
redu
ce t
he
need
to
trav
el, s
uch
as e
nsur
ing
that
pe
ople
can
live
clo
ser
to t
heir
wor
k.
Avo
id d
evel
opm
ents
tha
t ge
nera
te
furt
her
road
tra
ffic.
Im
prov
emen
t of
al
tern
ativ
es t
o th
e ca
r. P
rom
otio
n of
‘n
on c
ar’ o
ptio
ns fo
r to
uris
m.
Polic
ies
that
pro
gres
sive
ly r
educ
e pa
rkin
g pr
ovis
ion
and
road
spa
ce.
Polic
ies
that
en
cour
age
mor
e ef
ficie
nt u
se o
f car
tr
avel
(e.g
. car
sha
ring
, fue
l effi
cien
t ca
rs,
etc.
).
Dev
elop
ing
the
Reg
iona
l Tra
nspo
rt S
trat
egy
in t
he S
outh
Wes
t, C
onsu
ltatio
n D
raft
Sout
h W
est A
rea
Mul
ti M
odal
Stu
dy,
SWAR
MM
S Fi
nal R
epor
t D
evel
opm
ent
of a
n A
ir T
rans
port
(200
3)
Stra
tegy
for t
he F
ar S
outh
Wes
t of E
ngla
nd, A
Re
port
for t
he S
outh
Wes
t Reg
iona
l D
evel
opm
ent A
genc
y, So
uth
Wes
t Reg
iona
l As
sem
bly
Gov
ernm
ent O
ffice
Sou
th W
est a
nd
Dep
artm
ent f
or T
rans
port.
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
70
Hig
h le
vel
obje
ctiv
e D
etai
led
ques
tion
s:
does
the
pol
icy
/ pr
opos
al .
. .
Exp
lana
tion
of t
he d
etai
led
ques
tion
(w
here
not
obv
ious
) W
hat
SSA
will
look
for
R
elev
ant
Pla
ns, P
rogr
amm
es a
nd
Stra
tegi
es r
evie
wed
(se
e A
ppen
dix
A3)
4.2
Red
uce
the
need
/des
ire
to t
rave
l by
air
(9.1
)
Air
tra
vel i
s m
ore
dam
agin
g in
te
rms
of c
limat
e ch
ange
eve
n th
an
driv
ing
the
sam
e di
stan
ce.
Proj
ecte
d in
crea
ses
in a
ir t
rave
l th
reat
en t
o un
do t
he U
K’s
‘Kyo
to’
achi
evem
ents
. T
his
has
led
orga
nisa
tions
incl
udin
g th
e R
oyal
C
omm
issi
on o
n En
viro
nmen
tal
Pollu
tion
and
the
Sust
aina
ble
Dev
elop
men
t C
omm
issi
on t
o ad
voca
te d
eman
d m
anag
emen
t.
Incr
easi
ng a
ir t
rave
l is
unsu
stai
nabl
e.
Dev
elop
alte
rnat
ives
, esp
ecia
lly fa
st r
ail
links
and
dir
ect
sea
links
to
Eire
, Fra
nce
and
Spai
n.
Any
ext
ra a
ir c
apac
ity in
the
Sou
th
Wes
t sh
ould
be
offs
et b
y re
duct
ions
el
sew
here
eg
Hea
thro
w.
Avo
idan
ce o
f dev
elop
men
t th
at
enco
urag
es a
ir t
rave
l.
4.3
Hel
p ev
eryo
ne
acce
ss b
asic
ser
vice
s ea
sily
, saf
ely
and
affo
rdab
ly (P
6, 2
.3, 4
.2,
5.3)
Enab
ling
peop
le t
o ge
t ac
cess
to
wha
t th
ey w
ant
in li
fe w
ith le
ss
trav
el is
a ‘w
in-w
in’,
redu
cing
cos
ts
and
effo
rt a
s w
ell a
s en
viro
nmen
tal
dam
age.
Dis
tanc
e to
, and
eas
e of
acc
essi
ng,
scho
ols,
sho
ps, p
lace
s of
wor
k an
d re
crea
tion.
Qua
lity
of lo
cal s
ervi
ces:
ha
ving
a s
choo
l with
in w
alki
ng d
ista
nce
of h
ousi
ng is
less
use
if a
ll fa
mili
es w
ho
can,
sen
d th
eir
child
ren
else
whe
re.
Enco
urag
e gr
eate
r us
e of
ICT
. 4.
4 M
ake
publ
ic
tran
spor
t, cy
clin
g an
d w
alki
ng e
asie
r an
d m
ore
attr
activ
e (2
.3, 9
.2, 9
.4)
Pr
ovis
ion
of b
us r
oute
s an
d st
ops,
and
sa
fe, a
ttra
ctiv
e an
d di
rect
rou
tes
for
cycl
ists
and
wal
kers
. Pa
tter
ns o
f de
velo
pmen
t th
at s
uppo
rt t
heir
use
, eg
shor
t di
stan
ces
to lo
cal s
ervi
ces,
co
ncen
trat
ion
of a
men
ities
in t
own
cent
res
serv
ed b
y ra
dial
bus
rou
tes.
Im
prov
emen
t of
urb
an, i
nter
-urb
an a
nd
rura
l pub
lic t
rans
port
ser
vice
s.
4.5
Enco
urag
e a
switc
h fr
om t
rans
port
ing
frei
ght
by r
oad
to r
ail o
r w
ater
(9
.2)
En
cour
agem
ent
of lo
cal g
oods
and
se
rvic
es.
Prov
isio
n of
impr
oved
por
t an
d ra
il fa
cilit
ies,
incl
udin
g in
land
w
ater
way
s, a
nd in
terc
hang
es t
hat
will
le
ad t
o re
duce
d ro
ad fr
eigh
t tr
affic
, not
m
ore.
Reg
iona
l Tra
nspo
rt S
tatis
tics
2003
(w
ww
.dft.
gsi.g
ov.u
k)
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
71
Hig
h le
vel
obje
ctiv
e D
etai
led
ques
tion
s:
does
the
pol
icy
/ pr
opos
al .
. .
Exp
lana
tion
of t
he d
etai
led
ques
tion
(w
here
not
obv
ious
) W
hat
SSA
will
look
for
R
elev
ant
Pla
ns, P
rogr
amm
es a
nd
Stra
tegi
es r
evie
wed
(se
e A
ppen
dix
A3)
5.1
Pro
tect
and
enh
ance
ha
bita
ts a
nd s
peci
es
(tak
ing
acco
unt
of c
limat
e ch
ange
) (7.
1)
Pr
otec
tion
not
only
of d
esig
nate
d ar
eas,
bu
t of
wild
life
inte
rest
eve
ryw
here
. Es
peci
ally
str
engt
heni
ng o
f lin
ks
betw
een
‘wild
’ are
as t
o in
crea
se
adap
tatio
n to
clim
ate
chan
ge
5.2
Prom
ote
the
cons
erva
tion
and
wis
e us
e of
land
(4.1
)
Soils
are
a n
on-r
enew
able
res
ourc
e.
The
y sh
ould
be
cons
erve
d w
here
po
ssib
le a
nd a
ppro
pria
te t
o do
so
for
futu
re g
ener
atio
ns.
Muc
h of
the
reg
ion’
s va
luab
le
cultu
ral a
nd n
atur
al r
esou
rces
are
a
prod
uct
of a
rur
al w
ay o
f life
and
re
quir
e ru
ral s
kills
and
fa
rmin
g/st
ewar
dshi
p to
mai
ntai
n th
em.
Avo
idin
g de
velo
pmen
t th
at le
ads
to t
he
perm
anen
t lo
ss o
f bio
-pro
duct
ive
soils
, ta
king
into
acc
ount
the
ir c
ontr
ibut
ion
to
sust
aina
ble
food
pro
duct
ion,
bi
odiv
ersi
ty, f
lood
sto
rage
, gro
undw
ater
re
char
ge, e
tc.
Enco
urag
e de
velo
pmen
t th
at s
tren
gthe
ns li
nks
betw
een
urba
n an
d ru
ral l
ives
, and
sup
port
s fa
rmer
s’
sust
aina
ble
stew
ards
hip
of r
ural
land
.
5.3
Pro
tect
and
enh
ance
la
ndsc
ape
and
tow
nsca
pe
(7.3
, 13.
5)
The
div
ersi
ty o
f the
reg
ion
is o
ne o
f its
maj
or s
tren
gths
, per
haps
bes
t ex
pres
sed
in it
s la
ndsc
apes
and
to
wns
cape
s, a
lthou
gh m
uch
new
bu
ild p
ays
little
res
pect
to
this
(e.g
. m
oder
n ho
usin
g es
tate
s)
Loca
tion
and
desi
gn o
f dev
elop
men
t to
re
spec
t an
d im
prov
e ch
arac
ter
and
sett
lem
ent
sett
ing.
5.4
Val
ue a
nd p
rote
ct
dive
rsity
and
loca
l di
stin
ctiv
enes
s in
clud
ing
rura
l way
s of
life
(P13
, 4.
3)
The
Sou
th W
est’s
div
ersi
ty, c
ultu
ral
as w
ell a
s en
viro
nmen
tal,
is a
goo
d in
itse
lf an
d in
crea
ses
resi
lienc
e to
ex
tern
al c
hang
e.
Polic
ies
shou
ld a
void
‘sub
urba
nisi
ng’ t
he
coun
trys
ide.
Far
mer
s an
d ot
her
land
w
orke
rs s
houl
d be
ena
bled
to
live
in t
he
coun
trys
ide.
5.5
Mai
ntai
n an
d en
hanc
e cu
ltura
l and
his
tori
cal
asse
ts (1
2.2)
Pr
otec
tion
of c
ultu
rally
and
his
tori
cally
si
gnifi
cant
ass
ets
and
qual
ities
. N
ot ju
st
desi
gnat
ed s
ites
and
build
ings
, but
als
o no
n-de
sign
ated
suc
h as
loca
lly v
alue
d fe
atur
es a
nd la
ndm
arks
5: M
aint
ain
and
impr
ove
envi
ron-
men
tal
qual
ity a
nd
asse
ts (
P10)
5.6
Red
uce
vuln
erab
ility
to
floo
ding
, sea
leve
l ris
e (t
akin
g ac
coun
t of
clim
ate
chan
ge) (
3.3,
4.5
)
Exis
ting
sett
lem
ents
nee
d to
pla
n fo
r in
crea
sed
risk
.
New
dev
elop
men
t an
d in
fras
truc
ture
sh
ould
not
be
built
in a
reas
at
risk
. R
eloc
atio
n an
d m
anag
ed r
etre
at m
ay b
e th
e be
st o
ptio
n.
Loca
l Sus
tain
abili
ty G
roup
for
the
Sout
h W
est
(200
0).
Prom
otin
g Su
stai
nabl
e To
urism
in
the
Sout
h W
est,
A di
scus
sion
pape
r by
the
loca
l sus
tain
abilit
y gr
oup
for t
he S
outh
Wes
t. So
uth
Wes
t R
egio
nal A
ssem
bly
and
Sout
h W
est
Reg
iona
l Env
iron
men
tal N
etw
ork
(200
3).
Our
Env
ironm
ent:
Our
Fut
ure
Tow
ards
th
e Re
gion
al S
trate
gy fo
r the
Sou
th W
est
Envir
onm
ent,
Dra
ft fo
r Con
sulta
tion.
En
glis
h H
erita
ge (u
ndat
ed).
Engl
ish H
erita
ge in
th
e So
uth
Wes
t 200
3-00
5 D
efra
(200
3). D
raft,
The
Firs
t Soi
l Act
ion
Plan
Fo
r Eng
land
200
4-06
SSA
of t
he d
raft
SW R
SS
Fina
l Rep
ort
Mar
ch 2
006
72
Hig
h le
vel
obje
ctiv
e D
etai
led
ques
tion
s:
does
the
pol
icy
/ pr
opos
al .
. .
Exp
lana
tion
of t
he d
etai
led
ques
tion
(w
here
not
obv
ious
) W
hat
SSA
will
look
for
R
elev
ant
Pla
ns, P
rogr
amm
es a
nd
Stra
tegi
es r
evie
wed
(se
e A
ppen
dix
A3)
6.1
Red
uce
non-
rene
wab
le e
nerg
y co
nsum
ptio
n an
d ‘g
reen
hous
e’ e
mis
sion
s (3
.1, 3
.2)
Ren
ewab
le e
nerg
y pr
oduc
tion
and
ener
gy e
ffici
ent
tech
nolo
gies
hel
p.
Best
of a
ll, lo
ok fo
r w
ays
to d
esig
n ou
t th
e ne
ed t
o us
e en
ergy
Des
igni
ng b
uild
ings
to
use
natu
ral
light
ing,
ven
tilat
ion
and
capt
ure
the
sun’
s he
at.
Use
of r
enew
able
ene
rgy
whe
re a
ppro
pria
te.
6.2
Kee
p w
ater
co
nsum
ptio
n w
ithin
loca
l ca
rryi
ng c
apac
ity li
mits
(t
akin
g ac
coun
t of
clim
ate
chan
ge)
M
inim
ise
wat
er c
onsu
mpt
ion,
max
imis
e us
e of
rai
nwat
er /
grey
wat
er.
6.3
Min
imis
e co
nsum
ptio
n an
d ex
trac
tion
of m
iner
als
(10.
2)
G
reat
est
poss
ible
reu
se o
f old
mat
eria
l in
new
con
stru
ctio
n; p
rovi
sion
for
reus
e an
d re
cycl
ing.
6.4
Red
uce
was
te n
ot
put
to a
ny u
se (P
11, 1
0.3)
T
he b
est
way
- to
p of
the
was
te
hier
arch
y - i
s to
avo
id c
reat
ing
was
te a
t so
urce
. Reu
se, r
ecyc
ling,
di
gest
ion
and
com
post
ing
are
bett
er
than
dis
posa
l.
Prov
isio
n fo
r co
mpo
stin
g, d
iges
tion,
re
cycl
ing
in n
ew d
evel
opm
ent.
6: M
inim
ise
cons
umpt
ion
of n
atur
al
reso
urce
s (P
9, 1
0.2)
6.5
Min
imis
e la
nd, w
ater
, ai
r, li
ght,
nois
e, a
nd
gene
tic p
ollu
tion
(P8,
9.3
, 10
.1)
D
evel
opm
ent
that
min
imis
es d
iffus
e as
w
ell a
s po
int
sour
ce p
ollu
tion.
A
ppro
ache
s to
tra
nspo
rt t
hat
will
re
duce
tra
ffic
emis
sion
s.
Reg
iona
l Ren
ewab
le E
nerg
y St
rate
gy fo
r th
e So
uth
Wes
t of
Eng
land
200
3-20
10
Rev
isio
n 20
10: E
mpo
wer
ing
the
Reg
ion
– R
enew
able
Ene
rgy
Tar
gets
for
the
Sout
h W
est.
A V
isio
n fo
r Su
stai
nabl
e W
aste
Man
agem
ent
in t
he S
outh
Wes
t Fr
om R
ubbi
sh t
o R
esou
rce.
The
Reg
iona
l W
aste
Str
ateg
y fo
r th
e So
uth
Wes
t C
onsu
ltatio
n D
ocum
ent
Wat
er R
esou
rces
for
the
Futu
re –
A
Stra
tegy
for
the
Sout
h W
est
Reg
ion
Min
eral
s St
rate
gy
The
Air
Qua
lity
Stra
tegy
for
Engl
and,
Sc
otla
nd, W
ales
and
Nor
ther
n Ir
elan
d.
Wor
king
Tog
ethe
r fo
r C
lean
Air
, 200
0
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 73
6. HOW THE SSA INFLUENCED THE DRAFT RSS
6.1. Chapter 2 of this SSA Report outlined the ongoing input the SSA has had to the development of the draft RSS, since the SSA began in February 2004. The SSA team attended a number of SWRA meetings and workshops regarding the draft RSS development, often contributing papers and/or presenting SSA comments, guidance, findings and recommendations. In addition to formal input into the process, there was frequent and regular communication between the SWRA officers preparing the draft RSS and the SSA team, and the SSASG, to debate issues and challenges as they arose (e.g. alternatives to be considered), share baseline information (e.g. maps) and discuss background to policy formation (e.g. housing distribution numbers).
6.2. This chapter sets out in more detail the type of input the SSA has made, and how SSA recommendations have been taken on board by the SWRA and influenced the development of the draft RSS.
SSA GUIDANCE
Preparation of guidance for the JSA studies to undertake their own SSAs (June 2004)
6.3. The SSA guidance for the JSA studies set out a methodology so that authorities responsible for undertaking the JSA studies would be able to undertake their own SSA of the strategies developed for each JSA. The guidance encouraged them to consider alternative strategies wherever possible.
6.4. Using the SSA guidance and further advice provided by the SSA team in October-November 2004, the JSA studies each approached their SSAs in individual ways, some providing detailed JSA SSA Reports and others not. The SSA team has reviewed the JSA SSA Reports (where available), providing commentary on the JSA SSA findings (e.g. whether some effects have been underplayed) and further recommendations for improving the sustainability of the Sub Regional Strategy Statements in the draft RSS (developed from the JSA studies). Chapter 10 of this SSA Report provides a summary of the review of the JSA SSA Reports, and the detailed findings are in Appendix C.
Guidance on alternatives (March 2005) 6.5. The SSA team undertook an initial review (17 February 2005) of the
emerging Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) to be incorporated into the draft RSS. The review noted that it was not clear what alternatives had been considered, but that it was likely that in developing the approach and policies, choices would have been made. The review therefore recommended that, where such choices arose, the options considered be documented and appraised, so that the sustainability advantages/disadvantages are clearly set out for decision-makers. The SWRA then requested more guidance about what sort of alternatives they should be considering when preparing the RTS.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 74
6.6. In March 2005, the SSA team prepared a paper for the SWRA ‘Guidance on Alternatives’ setting out recommendations for considering alternatives at the strategic level, policy level and when prioritising policies and investment in the RTS.
SSA INPUT TO RSS POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
Two SSA commentaries on the emerging Possible Development Strategies (June-July 2004)
6.7. Before preparation of the Stage 2 SSA Report on the Possible Development Strategies, the SSA team reviewed the emerging Possible Development Strategies (then called options) and provided commentaries to the SWRA. The main recommendations were that the:
• RSS should consider a range of housing and/or economic growth alternatives (four scenarios).
• SSA would appraise the discounted spatial development options as well as the three being put forward for public consultation. The discounted options were ‘going with past development trends’ and the creation of one or more freestanding, new towns.
• Options be ‘sharpened up’, more clearly defined and differentiated from one another.
Stage 2 SSA Report of Possible Development Strategies 25th August 2004
6.8. The SWRA did sharpen up the definitions of the three Possible Development Strategies in their consultation document Possible Development Strategies for the Region. As described in Chapter 2 of this report, the Stage 2 SSA Report appraised the Possible Development Strategies and two discounted options, as well as the four housing growth scenarios, against the SSA Framework. The SSA findings generally showed the Possible Development Strategy 3 to provide the most sustainability benefits. The SSA recommended that:
• Possible Development Strategy 3 be “strictly applied” and developed to strengthen form and function of each settlement concerned.
6.9. Since the consultation on the Possible Development Strategies, the SWRA has built on the preferred spatial development strategy (‘Possible Development Strategy 3’, the ‘Differential’ approach) to more clearly express the different sub-regional emphases in the draft RSS. This was informed by a number of technical background studies commissioned by the SWRA to identify for example, which towns and cities are strategically significant, and describe the form and function of settlements and travel to work patterns in the region.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 75
SSA REVIEWS OF EMERGING THEMATIC POLICIES
SSA reviews of SWRA’s SA of thematic policies (February-May 2005)
6.10. The SSA team reviewed SWRA’s in house sustainability appraisals of early drafts of the thematic sections for transport, waste and energy. SWRA had undertaken SAs using the SSA Framework and the SSA team commented on the findings of the SAs and the development of the policies. The SSA reviews included some recommendations for improvements to the policies and supporting text, and some recommendations for the SSA.
6.11. Some of the SSA recommendations were taken on board by SWRA although not necessarily in the same way recommended, as the structure of the whole draft RSS has gone through several iterations since the SSA review was undertaken, and additional more overarching policies have been developed. For example, the SSA review of the emerging energy policies suggested that sustainable design in the round – i.e. a whole systems approach to energy – including consideration of orientation, topography, design and technology should be included in the supporting text of the energy policies. While this is not included in the energy section of the draft RSS, Section 3 of the draft RSS does include specific policies on sustainable design (Development Policy E) and sustainable construction (Development Policy G). In addition, Section 7.3.2 of the draft RSS now states “A move toward more sustainable construction advocated in Section 3 will help address this issue (energy efficiency in buildings) in relation to new development.”
SSA COMMENTARIES ON EMERGING RSS 6.12. An initial SSA commentary48 was provided for Version 5.3 of the Strategy
Document. Some of the SSA comments were taken on board in the revised Version 6.3 Strategy Document. However, the SSA commentary49 provided for Version 6.3 of the Strategy Document reiterated many of the earlier points made, in particular where it was considered sustainability issues had still not been sufficiently addressed. The SSA commentary followed the structure of the Strategy Document, providing comments under each of the Section headings used in the Strategy Document. Many of the key messages from these earlier commentaries have been repeated throughout the development of the draft RSS, and some are repeated in this SSA Report. For example, the July 2005 SSA commentary noted in relation to the transport strategy and policies:
“The aim of the proposed strategy to deliver the capacity and services to encourage a switch to rail from road is commended from a sustainability point of view. However, this could easily be undermined by, firstly, the difficulty in securing the funding to deliver the improvements to rail required and the speed with which this can take place, and secondly, the upgrading of the A303/A358, which will provide a
48 SSA Commentary on Strategy Document (Version 5.3) provided on 20th June to SWRA for discussion at RSPTG Meeting 21st June 2005. 49 SSA Commentary on Strategy Document (Version 6.3) provided to SWRA for discussion at SSASG Meeting 7th July 2005.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 76
“more attractive” alternative. We recommend that SWRA needs to reconsider how it can achieve the aim of improving quality of life and access to opportunities in the region with less travel. In particular, the assumption that providing a second motorway-standard road link deep into the Peninsula is essential to the future wellbeing of the region needs to be examined more critically.”
6.13. An SSA commentary50 on the Sub-Regional Assessments was also prepared in July 2005, which followed the structure of the Sub Regional Assessments Document51. These were preliminary comments, and it was noted that further work incorporating the findings of the SSAs being undertaken as part of the JSA studies would be needed. The SSA commentary dealt with each Sub Region and JSA on its own merits, and found that there was much to commend in the approaches being proposed. It highlighted potential sustainability issues that needed to be taken into account in delivering the proposed strategies, and which could enhance their sustainability performance where appropriate. The SSA Commentary concluded that
“The true test of sustainability will be how each of the proposed strategies relate to one another in practice, and what the changes to the region as a whole will be. Key questions that need to be considered include:
• How will the success of the proposed strategy in one JSA impact on the chances of success in another, given that there will be an element of competition between them, and scarce resources to ensure successful implementation?
• Will the envisaged rewards of economic growth actually benefit those who most need them, particularly in the most deprived parts of the region?
• What will be the cumulative impacts of development as a whole, given the scale of overall development proposed, in terms of issues such as changes in character to the unique qualities of the South West, resource use, habitat fragmentation and disturbance, tranquillity, travel demand, contributions to climate change, etc., and how can potential adverse impacts be fully off-set?”
6.14. The SWRA considered the conclusions and recommendations from each SSA commentary in the iterations of the draft RSS and modified policies and text where it considered appropriate.
6.15. The SSA team presented Initial Comments on the Emerging RSS52 to the SSASG on 27th September 2005 and the RSPTG on 4th October 2005, setting out the good points and ‘sustainability concerns’ for each section of the draft RSS. The overall comments noted that there was much in the emerging RSS that is very good in sustainability terms and that many of the SSA comments have been taken on board. However, there were still some issues that conflict with sustainability principles. Parts of the draft RSS that the SSA noted were good or had improved were:
50 SSA Commentary on Sub-Regional Assessments. Provided to SWRA for discussion at SSASG Meeting 7th July 2005. 51 Sub Regional Assessments Discussion Paper 1. Prepared by SWRA and released 27th June 2005 for discussion at July Workshops. 52 First Draft RSS Version 1.2. SWRA, September 2005.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 77
• Recognition that GVA is not only measure of economic well-being.
• Dealing with housing need and affordability.
• The greater emphasis on climate change.
• The aim to reduce the region’s footprint.
• Acknowledgement of environmental limits.
• The need for environmental infrastructure.
• Recognition that different solutions are needed for different places.
• The importance of settlement form and function
• That quality of development is a key ingredient for success.
6.16. Areas where there were still sustainability concerns were:
• The overall levels of growth are likely to lead to increased consumption and impacts.
• The approach to transport, which would be unlikely to lead to reductions in traffic.
• The approach to airports, and the acceptance of major growth.
• The ‘one size fits all’ assumption that competitiveness, productivity and GVA growth are beneficial.
• How environmental limits have influenced the strategy.
• The need for greater emphasis on efficiency than sustainable supplies.
6.17. There was ongoing debate between the SSA team, the SSASG and the SWRA officers and Members, on these issues and they are discussed further in the relevant draft RSS Section appraisals (Chapters 7 to 16) of this SSA Report, and the concluding chapters (17 to 19).
6.18. The SSA team prepared another SSA Summary53 note for input into the November 2005 consultation workshops on the draft RSS. The note provided a summary of initial SSA findings of the emerging draft RSS (October 200554). The sustainability strengths and weaknesses of that version of the draft RSS were listed, mostly reiterating those above, but adding the following strengths:
• The focus on encouraging development in existing urban areas.
53 Summary of Initial SSA Findings of Emerging RSS. Provided to SWRA for discussion at the November 2005 consultation workshops, 15th November 2005. 54 First Draft RSS Regional Assembly 21st Oct version. Version 1.92. South West Regional Assembly, October 2005.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 78
• The aim to improve the alignment of homes with jobs, which should help to reduce the need to travel.
• The emphasis on human well-being and reducing inequality.
• The recognition that there needs to be significant improvements in public transport, coupled with demand management measures.
6.19. The SSA team presented further summaries of findings to meetings of the RSPTG, SSASG and the full Assembly from November 2005 to February 2006, based on the latest version of the draft RSS prepared for each meeting. Table 6.1 is a reproduction of the ‘traffic light’ table used to present the summary of SSA findings. The table summarised the likely effects on each of the SSA framework detailed questions, showing green for those sustainability objectives the draft RSS was likely to achieve, amber for those sustainability objectives where it was considered either uncertain, marginal, or only in part that the draft RSS would achieve it, and red for those sustainability objectives where it was considered highly unlikely if at all that it would be achieved by the draft RSS. The SSA team considered that the draft RSS was likely to positively contribute to five of the sustainability objectives, while only two of the sustainability objectives were unlikely to be achieved (reductions in air travel, and greenhouse gas emissions). The majority of sustainability objectives were coloured amber.
6.20. The SSA team concluded that:
• The main challenge for SWRA is how to hold firm to policy safeguards when faced with the scale and pace of development and change.
• There is a need to achieve a ‘step-change’ in delivering sustainable development, and preventing development that is not.
• Success is dependent upon applying Policies SD1 to SD4 across all development.
• Therefore, the RSS needs to be accompanied by a decision-making tool to enable implementation.
6.21. In December 2005, as a result of these SSA findings SWRA commissioned Levett-Therivel to review greenhouse gas emissions in the region and opportunities for the draft RSS and related initiatives to reduce them.
6.22. An interim report was produced on 21 February as input into the draft RSS process. Some important changes were made to draft RSS in response to the climate change report that led to significant improvements, particularly with respect to energy efficiency in built development and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A final version of the climate change report55 was based on Version 3.2 of the draft RSS.
55 Carbon emissions from the South West, and implications for the Regional Spatial Strategy. Levett-Therivel sustainability consultants with Land Use Consultants, 15 March 2006.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 79
Table 6.1 ‘Traffic light’56 summary table of SSA findings presented to meetings of the SSASG, RSPTG and full SW Assembly (November 2005 to February 2006)
Will the draft RSS (in practice rather than aspiration)… SSA finding: Improve health, and reduce health inequalities? Probably will help Help to make suitable housing available and affordable for everyone?
Will go a long way towards this, but
deliverability? Promote stronger and more vibrant communities? Depends where you are
and who you ask Give everyone access to satisfying work opportunities? Should help more
people Reduce poverty and income inequality? Difficult to tell Meet local needs locally and increase circulation of wealth in the region
Partially, but still much about connectivity
Reduce the vulnerability to climate change? Not clear how influenced strategy
Reduce the need/desire to travel by car? Yes, but still likely to increase car trips
Reduce the need/desire to travel by air? No Help everyone to access basic services easily, safely and affordably?
Urban areas – yes; rural areas less certain
Make public transport, cycling and walking easier and more attractive?
Almost certainly
Encourage a switch from transporting freight to rail or water? Yes, but overall marginal
Protect and enhance habitats and species? Yes but cumulative effects?
Promote the conservation and wise use of land? Up to a point, but will still be an effect
Protect and enhance landscape and townscape character? Good policies, but scale of change?
Value and protect diversity and local distinctiveness including rural ways of life?
Good policies, but scale of change?
Maintain and enhance cultural and historical assets? Yes, but some effects inevitable
Reduce vulnerability to flooding, sea level rise, taking account of climate change?
Policies are there, but depends on local
circumstances Reduce non-renewable energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions?
Highly unlikely
Keep water consumption within local carrying capacity limits? Environment Agency says yes, but deliverability?
Minimise consumption and extraction of minerals and reduce waste not to put any use?
Should go a long way to minimise, especially
waste Minimise land, water, air, light, noise and genetic pollution? Policies will help, but
likely to increase overall
•
56 Note that due to black and white printing of the SSA Report, red should appear as the darkest shading, amber as the lightest shading, and green as the mid-level shading in Table 6.1.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 80
6.23. A more detailed summary table discussing the potential effects on the sustainability objectives was presented in Chapter 17 of the Draft Final SSA Report (17th February 2006), which appraised Version 2.3 of the draft RSS. The table has been updated in Chapter 17 of this Final SSA Report, to reflect the many SSA recommendations taken on board and included in the final version of the draft RSS (Version 4.1). In addition, Chapters 7 to 16 of this Report note where earlier SSA recommendations specifically related to draft RSS policies have been addressed in revisions to the final draft RSS.
6.24. Most of the changes to the draft RSS policies were made between Version 2.3 and 3.2 of the draft RSS. To help identify which policies needed re-appraising and any new policies to appraise for the Final SSA Report, the SSA team prepared a schedule of changes (see Appendix A6), which shows the extent of the changes made.
6.25. Further revisions were made to the draft RSS prior to it being finalised. For example, an additional policy on regional and large casinos was added.
6.26. The SSA Report had to be updated to reflect all the changes made to the draft RSS, in order that the final SSA Report reflected the final draft RSS. This resulted in some additional positive benefits being identified, but also some negative effects too.
REASONS FOR SELECTING THE PREFERRED SPATIAL STRATEGY
6.27. In the view of the SWRA the draft RSS represents the most appropriate approach to accommodating growth in the South West over the period 2006-2026, taking into account a wide range of economic, environmental and social factors. In particular, the SWRA have sought to accommodate a level of housing, economic and service development that also allows for the protection and enhancement of the environment, and that can be supported by existing and planned infrastructure (e.g. transport networks, sewage treatment works, schools and hospitals, etc.).
6.28. However, during the course of the SSA, it became apparent that a key assumption underlying the preparation of the draft RSS was that the region should continue to increase its economic interdependency with, and exposure to, trade and competition from the rest of the UK (especially London and the South East) and the rest of the world. The SSA questioned whether this would be compatible with reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the circulation of wealth within the region, and reducing the vulnerability of the economy to external shocks and international markets.
6.29. The SSA recommended that a greater emphasis on local distinctiveness, local circulation of wealth, and diverse local economies in order to meet local needs, economic security and continuity, and a reduction in vulnerability to international markets should be explored to determine whether this would be better for quality of life, the environment and resilience to future threats.
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6.30. Although this was the subject of some discussion, given the stage of preparation of the draft RSS, it was not examined in any detail.
CONCLUSIONS 6.31. It can be seen from the above account that the final version of the draft RSS
was quite different from earlier versions. Particular aspects that were significantly strengthened included:
• Increased references to the achievement of sustainable outcomes, as well as aspirations.
• A much greater emphasis on the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, together with policies that required higher standards of energy efficiency to be achieved, and increased emphasis on the need for a low carbon economy.
• Reference to designing out crime in developments.
• Increased emphasis on the need for the economy to be within environmental limits.
• Increased references to the character and environmental qualities of the South West as a key distinguishing feature of the region.
• Strengthening of the references to the role and function of settlements in the Development Policies in Section 3 of the draft RSS.
• Increased emphasis on reducing the need to travel (including the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from traffic and encouragement of local supply chains), promoting walking and cycling as well as public transport (although several aspects where key recommendations were made regarding road improvements and airport development were not changed in the draft RSS).
• Strengthening of the wording of some of the policies (e.g. from ‘to encourage’ to ‘is required’ and from ‘should’ to ‘will’), in order to set higher quality standards for the delivery of development.
6.32. As a result of the SSA process, and in particular because SWRA wished to integrate and use the SSA to test, inform and refine the draft RSS, a much more sustainable version has resulted, even though some important caveats still remain.
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7. SECTION 1 OF THE DRAFT RSS: A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE SOUTH WEST
INTRODUCTION 7.1. This Section of the draft RSS sets out the background for its preparation and the
Sustainability Principles that will be applied in delivering the draft RSS. It starts with a description of the South West region today (Section 1.1), describes the relationship between the draft RSS and Regional Planning Guidance 10 (RPG10) (Section 1.2), and the sort of region that the strategy is to work towards (Section 1.3). It then goes on to describe the major challenges facing the South West (Section 1.4), and the linkages between the Integrated Regional Strategy (IRS) aims and the draft RSS (Section 1.5). The final part of this Section of the draft RSS sets out the Sustainability-Principles (Section 1.6), which provide the focus for the SSA.
What does the draft RSS section say? 7.2. In response to the challenges identified for the Region, four cross-cutting
Sustainability Principles are presented in the draft RSS:
• Policy SD1: The Ecological Footprint.
• Policy SD2: Climate Change.
• Policy SD3: The Environment and Natural Resources.
• Policy SD4: Sustainable Communities.
7.3. These policies set the ‘tone’ for the draft RSS, aiming to make the future development and lifestyle choices in the region more sustainable. For example, they aim to reduce or reverse some of the key adverse trends that have been affecting the region over many years, such as constantly rising traffic, increased consumption of natural resources, and increased greenhouse gas emissions, and incremental erosion and fragmentation of the region’s environmental assets.
What are the likely effects on the SSA headline objectives? 7.4. The appraisal matrices to accompany the following analysis of Section 7 policies can
be found in Appendix B1.
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health All four policies are likely to improve health of the population of the region. The main reasons for this are their emphasis on: • Reducing the need to travel. • Reducing economic disparity. • Avoiding development at risk of adverse impacts
from climate change, such as flood risk. • Reducing pollution.
None identified.
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Positive effects Negative effects • Improvements to green space and urban
environments. • Protecting and enhancing the quality of the natural,
built and historic environment. • Strengthening community identity and
distinctiveness. • Improving access to training, education and health
facilities. Most of these positive effects will be indirect, long-term and region-wide. Support communities that meet people’s needs SD4 is particularly significant in helping to achieve this objective, as it emphasises the need to strengthen the role and function of cities, towns and villages, their local character and distinctiveness, and promote self-containment. It also promotes adequate and affordable housing, healthy, safe and secure places to live, enhancing education, skills, development training and a range of other similar objectives. Climate proofing of development (SD2) and concentrating adaptation to the impacts of climate change on the most vulnerable communities should support this objective, such as in areas at risk of flooding. SD1 and SD3 are also likely to provide some positive benefits, but these are not as significant as SD4. The majority of these positive effects will be indirect, long-term, and region-wide, although they may be more easily deliverable in urban areas as opposed to smaller towns and villages.
None identified.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs The policies will help to ensure that the economy develops in ways that ‘meet people’s needs’ in three ways: (i) reducing the environmental damage that threatens human comfort and potentially survival (ii) reducing vulnerability to environment related threats and risks such as energy shortages and prices rises, transport disruption, etc (iii) encouraging a more local and resilient economy. The most positive effects are likely to arise from SD4, which aims to support business activity and in particular small businesses, and due to its emphasis on role and function of settlements and self-containment could help to increase wealth circulating in the region. SD3 aims to make economic development and activity more resilient to climate change, and to harness opportunities arising from climate change. This is likely to benefit sectors such as environmental technologies, engineering and tourism (especially in coastal locations). The effects of SD4 are likely to be significant, long-term and region-wide.
Some job opportunities could be foregone from ‘footloose’ economic sectors that are not regionally specific.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment SD4 is particularly strong in meeting this objective, because of its emphasis on linking the provision of
None identified.
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Positive effects Negative effects homes, jobs and services and on self-containment, plus its promotion of a step-change in public transport and taking steps to manage demand for travel and promote public transport hubs, a theme that is also supported by SD2. The effects are likely to be positive, deliverable in the medium to longer-term, and be region-wide, although most easily achieved in larger settlements. Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets This is the main thrust of SD3, which is likely to bring a wide range of positive effects, for example with respect to habitats and biodiversity, soils, landscape and the historic environment. SD3 is strongly supported by SD4, which should help to protect and enhance cultural identity, assets, distinctiveness, etc., within settlements, and reduce the need to travel elsewhere. This could take some pressure off environmental assets outside of the main built-up areas. It also aims to provide networks of green space that should help to support biodiversity. The positive effects are likely to be significant, long-term, and region-wide.
None identified.
Minimise consumption of natural resources SD1 aims to reduce the region’s ecological footprint, and therefore is generally very supportive of this SA objective. SD3 aims to keep development within environmental limits, reduce the environmental impact of the economy, transport and development, and reduce pollution and contamination. SD2 aims to reduce the region’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The positive effects are likely to be significant, long-term and region-wide.
None identified.
What improvements (e.g. mitigation, enhancement) could be made?
Policy SD1: The Ecological Footprint
7.5. Policy SD1 aims to stabilise the region’s Ecological Footprint, and then reduce it. In sustainability terms this is to be strongly welcomed. The policy now includes reference to ‘building a sustainable, low carbon and low resource consuming economy which can be secured within environmental limits to bring prosperity and well being to all parts of the region’. Within the supporting text, greater attention is now focused on ‘increasing the circulation of wealth within the region’. ‘Wider connectivity’ (which could be taken to mean building more roads to facilitate more and longer car journeys) has been replaced with ‘effective communication links’. The difference between the two is open to interpretation, but overall the latter is considered to be more in line with sustainability principles. One improvement is recommended:
• Clarify that ‘effective communication links’ should not be interpreted as increasing the attractiveness of making longer and more frequent journeys by car.
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Policy SD2: Climate Change
7.6. SD2 is a fundamental precondition to delivering all the other benefits that the draft RSS aims to deliver. This has been considerably strengthened from earlier versions, with a tougher target for reductions in carbon dioxide emissions (30% of 1990 levels as opposed to 20%). It is essential that other policies in the draft RSS support and do not undermine the achievement of this policy objective.
7.7. SD2 also identifies opportunities to derive benefits, such as with respect to economic activity. Aspects relating to climate change that the policy could in addition explicitly address that are still outstanding include:
• Impacts on soils (e.g. from erosion), and subsidence.
• Impacts of climate change on the historic environment.
• Implications for water resources, looking beyond the plan period.
Policy SD3: The Environment and Resources
7.8. This is a strong policy that focuses on the environmental dimension of sustainability, but makes the links with economic and health benefits. It will be a challenge to achieve given current trends and the scale of development, so the key will be the weight given to this policy in the face of development pressure.
7.9. There has been a change in the wording of the first bullet from ‘keeping development within environmental limits through identifying thresholds’ to ‘ensuring development respects landscape and ecological thresholds’. It is not clear why this wording has changed, as landscape and ecology are only two aspects of environmental limits.
• It is recommended that the original wording in the first bullet is used, and that the supporting text includes a list of those aspects of the environment that should be included as part of the assessment of ‘limits’ and ‘thresholds’, which should include: air, land, and water quality, water resources, ecological systems, landscape (including tranquillity and dark skies), historic assets, functional flood plains.
Policy SD4: Sustainable Communities
7.10. SD4 includes many of the ingredients of sustainability and scores positively across all headline SA objectives. It is more likely to be achieved in the urban areas, where services and facilities are more viable (the tendency for funding to be available for centralised services and facilities could undermine the objectives of parts of this policy in smaller towns and villages, except where they are more isolated from major settlements). There is one outstanding recommendation:
• Reference is now made to making the best use of existing infrastructure, but there is still no requirement that this take precedence before building new infrastructure.
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Conclusions 7.11. Policies SD1 to SD4 provide a very sound and very strong basis for putting the South
West on a more sustainable path. In sustainability terms, their inclusion as the key principles under-pinning the draft RSS are to be welcomed. The main issue will be their deliverability. The policies set down some tough challenges, which will be difficult to achieve given the scale of development proposed over the plan period, and the stubborn unsustainable trends, particularly with respect to resource consumption which have led to the region’s ecological footprint being unsustainable on current trends. For example, policy SD2 recognises the importance of climate change as the greatest threat facing life in the South West, but evidence suggests that the region will be unlikely to achieve the targets set in the policy, without in particular a major shift in transport behaviour and much higher performance in energy efficiency across the domestic, industrial and commercial sectors57.
7.12. Similarly, the objective of ‘ensuring development respects landscape and ecological thresholds’ will be a challenge to achieve, given the development proposed elsewhere in the draft RSS, and the uncertainties surrounding current understanding of how to measure such ‘thresholds’.
7.13. However, it is important that the RSS plays its part in breaking into the currently unsustainable patterns of development and human activity and lifestyles. Unless this is done, then development will not be sustainable. Policies SD1 to SD4 therefore set down the basic prerequisite that should be applied when implementing all other policies in the draft RSS.
7.14. These issues are now recognised in the draft RSS by the insertion of a new section 1.7 ‘Achieving the Region’s Sustainability Ambitions’, which summarises how different sections of the draft RSS aim to deliver a more sustainable South West. It also states, and lists some examples, of aspects outside the sphere of influence of the RSS that will also have a profound effect on sustainability performance.
7.15. Whilst recognising that the draft RSS aims to make a significant move towards a more sustainable future for the region, and that the success of this is also dependent upon external factors, it is highly likely that there will be occasions when the pressure to deliver development, particularly to meet economic and social objectives, will come into conflict with policies SD1 to SD4. Difficult decisions will have to be made. For example, a major development proposal that would create jobs in an area of high deprivation (which would be compatible with some aspects of policy SD4) may also generate significant traffic and generation of greenhouse gas emissions (which would conflict with parts of policy SD1 and policy SD2). When users of the RSS are faced with decisions about such developments, there is no indication as to how much
57 Research on the effects of the draft RSS is reported in Carbon emissions from the South West, and implications for the Regional Spatial Strategy. Levett-Therivel Sustainability Consultants with Land Use Consultants. 15 March 2006. This found that the policies in the draft RSS that aim to increase energy efficiency in housing, directing housing to locations with accessibility to amenities with less travel and demand management measures, and increases in the proportion of energy from renewable sources would reduce carbon dioxide emissions per resident by 2026 by 20%. However, this would be offset by the increases in road capacity in the draft RSS (only a 10% increase in road transport emissions would be enough to offset all other transport savings in the draft RSS), and increases in flights from South West airports.
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weight should be applied to different aspects of these policies, or whether development that conflicts with any aspects of these policies should be ruled out as a matter of principle.
7.16. The RSS should therefore could include a ‘decision-making’ framework (e.g. in the Implementation Plan) to help guide those using it to take decisions that aspire to meet all policy objectives, but also to show them how to approach decision-making when potential conflicts and tensions are apparent, in order that the best interests of the South West as a whole are met. For example, the decision-making framework could set out the condition that, in order to be sustainable, policies and proposals that conflict with policies SD1 to SD4 should not be permitted, and that where conflicts are apparent, alternative ways of achieving the policy or proposal objective should be sought that are consistent with policies SD1 to SD4.
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8. SECTION 2 OF THE DRAFT RSS: THE CONTEXT FOR THE SPATIAL STRATEGY
INTRODUCTION 8.1. Section 2 sets the context for the RSS. It describes the underlying character of the
region, in environmental, economic and social terms, and the trends that the region is experiencing. It sets down forecasts of how the region is expected to grow in the future, and the approach that the draft RSS adopts in order to manage this growth. It is divided into the following components:
• The spatial context for the South West.
• The quality of environmental and cultural assets.
• Providing for expected economic and population change.
• Resources and infrastructure availability.
• The role and function of places.
8.2. It does not include policies, but does include bold statements emphasising the strategic approach that applies throughout the remainder of the draft RSS.
What does the draft RSS section say? 8.3. The Section is premised on the following factors:
• The importance of inter-regional linkages, particularly to the economy of the region.
• The intrinsic quality of environmental and cultural assets as a distinctive strength of the region, and the important role that these play in supporting sustainable economic activity.
• The need to realise the economic potential of the region, and in particular intervene to stimulate economic development and support community regeneration in those areas that are ‘underperforming’.
• That 80% of the region’s jobs will be created in just 23 settlements.
• The recognition that the South West is the fastest growing region in population terms, and that it has an older than average population.
• That in most parts of the South West the gap between earnings and house prices is such that many households cannot now afford to own their own home.
• That there are ‘serious infrastructure deficits’ in many parts of the region.
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• The need to ensure that in future the need to travel, particularly by car, is reduced.
• That different parts of the region, and different settlements, have different roles and functions, and that these are not necessarily dependent upon settlement size.
8.4. The section responds by stating that the RSS needs to plan for:
• Average annual economic growth towards the higher end of the range 2.4% and 3.2%, which translates into making provision for 365,000 and 465,000 growth in jobs over the plan period, and a population growth of 750,000 with around 25,000 dwellings per year needed.
• Continued support for the economic well-being of areas of concentrated disadvantaged in both urban and rural areas.
• Accelerate the provision of housing to provide an adequate choice and mix of housing of all tenures, and to address the issues of affordable housing across the region.
• Considerable investment in transport infrastructure, including inter-regional transport links, and local transport (especially public transport).
• Considerable investment in social and community infrastructure, recognising the need to respond to an ageing population and the importance of providing opportunities for younger people, more deprived communities, and ethnic minorities.
• A better balance between homes and jobs in both urban and rural locations, supported by a functional approach to settlements.
• Protection of high quality environmental assets, and realise opportunities to enhance environmental and cultural assets as development occurs.
What are the likely effects on the SSA headline objectives? 8.5. The appraisal matrices to accompany the following analysis of Section 7 policies can
be found in Appendix B2.
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health Health is influenced by many factors, including level of prosperity, employment, the quality of environment, standard of housing, access to easy opportunities to take exercise, as well as by other factors outside the scope of the RSS, such as age, smoking and diet. The issues raised in this section, and the way that the draft RSS intends to grapple with them, should generally be beneficial to health and help to reduce health inequalities. This depends, though, on the ability of the region to deliver the benefits that the draft RSS aims to deliver – growth at the same time as environmental
Rapid change in itself can be unsettling. Development can lead to pollution and will often cause stress, anxiety and unhappiness if people feel it is (i) intrusive (ii) damaging to places they know and care about (iii) benefiting others, not them and/or (iv) outside their control and influence. For example, major transport infrastructure
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Positive effects Negative effects improvements, and reducing social inclusion. This will be a considerable challenge. Acknowledgement in the text of the need to cater for an ageing population is important. The effects, if they prove to be positive, will be largely indirect, and are likely to become increasingly noticeable over the lifetime of the plan, and will be region-wide.
can often be all four.
Support communities that meet people’s needs One of the main objectives of the draft RSS is to ‘increase and accelerate the provision of housing over the lifetime of the RSS to provide an adequate choice mix of housing of all tenures’. The emphasis on environmental quality, settlement function, and addressing disadvantage should also bring a range of other benefits to help make many communities more vibrant. For making suitable housing available the effects are likely to be significant, direct and arise in the short to long-term, region-wide. Other effects are likely to be indirect, over the same time period and region-wide.
The scale of change in some locations may cause some tensions and resentment, if existing residents fear or do not want change. Rapidly growing communities with many incomers can also lead to issues with social cohesion.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs The key driver of development in the draft RSS is the ‘need to plan for economic growth at or above the current rate…making provision for between 365,000 and 465,000 growth in jobs between 2006 and 2026 [which] translates into a population growth of over 750,000 over the 20 year period’. The draft RSS aims to adopt a differential approach to economic development to address disadvantage and intra-regional disparity. This should help towards giving everyone in the region access to satisfying work opportunities, but will be dependent upon the market delivering. The effects are likely to be direct, long-term, and region-wide.
The emphasis on ‘connectivity’ and access to London and Heathrow conflicts with the sustainability aims of meeting local needs locally and increasing the circulation of wealth within the region. Similarly, it is by no means certain that economic growth will benefit those most in need, or that ‘connectivity’ will boost peripheral economies rather than ‘suck’ economic activity out.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment There is acknowledgement of the desire for a step change towards more sustainable transport, and a reduction in the need to travel by achieving a better balance between homes and jobs. The need to invest in rail is emphasised, and the focus in general is on maintaining reliability and resilience of transport links. Longer distance commuting on the region’s trunk roads and motorways is also acknowledged as a growing trend, which needs to be addressed.
The emphasis on ‘competitive’ and ‘knowledge based’ businesses may not always be appropriate to meeting local needs, and does not necessarily draw on the natural strengths and skills that characterise different parts of the region. They can also be more reliant on connections to London, and to Europe and beyond (from regional ports and airports in the South West as well as from Heathrow). This is likely to increase travel by both car and air, although the draft RSS aims to improve public
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Positive effects Negative effects transport connections.
Reconciling the tension between connectivity and access to markets and reducing the need to travel suggests that both positive and negative effects will arise, and these will be significant, affecting the whole region, in the short to long-term. Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets Section 2 recognises that the ‘quality and diversity of environmental and cultural assets is a key strength of the South West’. It also acknowledges that ‘current policies have had limited success in areas of significant growth and change’ and that the ‘impacts are undeniable’. It is therefore appropriate to question whether the new policies in draft RSS will be able to make a significant difference, especially given that the levels of development proposed are even higher than in RPG10. There are important policy safeguards in the draft RSS, such as the sustainability principles in SD1 to SD4, and the environmental policies in Section 7 of the draft RSS. It should often be possible to locate, design and deliver development to be compatible with these policies. The inclusion of a new statement about applying the sustainability principles in Section 1.6 of the draft RSS has strengthened the likelihood of their being achieved. But the planning system does not currently have the powers or mechanisms to ensure and require that all development meets them. It is therefore highly probable that the scale of development envisaged will result in significant damage to environmental quality and assets despite the draft RSS’s attempts to avoid this, unless much stronger means of enforcement are made available to regional and local planning authorities than are currently in place. Minimise consumption of natural resources Studies undertaken by the Environment Agency suggest that the development contained within the draft RSS can be accommodated with respect to water resources, although this is dependent upon water efficiency measures and water infrastructure investment most immediately in the Severn and South West Oxfordshire Resource Zones, where otherwise deficits could arise as from 2009/10 (dependent also upon growth proposals in neighbouring regions). Given lead times and available powers, there is some uncertainty about whether this can be achieved in line with the proposed phasing of development.
None specifically identified.
The assessment of the effects of Section 2 on this SA objective are similar to those for the SA objective on environmental quality and assets. Current trends (globally, nationally, and regionally) suggest that increased development and growth tend to be associated with increased consumption of resources (and is often dependent upon such consumption). It would be technically possible to break the link between growth and consumption but the planning system does not have the powers to achieve it. The need to raise ‘productivity’ is mentioned, but this is presumably in reference to GVA per capita, rather than natural resources. Otherwise, the effects on this SA objective are uncertain.
What improvements (e.g. mitigation, enhancement) could be made? 8.6. Section 2 provides a combination of contextual material and broad statements of
how the strategy of the draft RSS has been formulated to respond to current trends and future forecasts. In terms of aspiration, it should lead to many positive benefits, but in terms of delivery, a number of uncertainties arise, particularly in relation to reconciling the scale of growth (economic, population) with environmental objectives.
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• In response to earlier recommendations of the SSA, there is now bold text on what the draft RSS aims to achieve with respect to ‘The Quality of Environmental and Cultural Assets’, which states that decisions should not result in detrimental impacts on the region’s environmental and cultural assets and that, where potential conflicts arise, alternative approaches should be sought that aim to mitigate any negative environmental impacts. However, this could be strengthened by stating that environmental impacts should in the first instance be avoided, and that where significant environmental impacts are likely to occur that cannot be mitigated, development should not be permitted.
• Given the policies throughout the draft RSS, it is recommended that a quantitative analysis of the effects on resource consumption is undertaken. The analysis should determine whether, given the economic growth being planned for, the types of economic sectors likely to grow, the pattern of development (which aims to realign jobs, services, and homes closer together), and the transport investment and policies, the policies that aim to minimise or reduce resource consumption will be deliverable.
8.7. It is also by no means certain that the benefits of economic growth will reach those who are in most need, such as deprived communities in both urban and rural areas, although the need to focus intervention on such communities is given strong emphasis. There are particular tensions relating to ‘reducing the need to travel’ where the focus on closer alignment of homes and jobs, the role and function of settlements, and investments in public transport, are likely to be undermined by the potentially conflicting statements relating to inter-regional connectivity and air travel.
8.8. Within this context, the influence and importance of ‘physical connectivity’ is a potential sustainability issue, particularly longer distance connectivity. For example, research on intra-regional connectivity in the South West suggests that the evidence surrounding the links between transport investment/improvement and economic growth is often contradictory. There are many factors that influence location and performance, of which transport is one, but the benefits as a result of more major transport improvements are often too small to show up in aggregate data. Generally, transport makes a larger impact in more localised location decisions58. Other research for the SWRDA Panel of Economists found that cities are the engine rooms of economic activity, and that the South West (and in particular the far south west) suffers (in terms of productivity and earnings) from its lack of large population centres, relative to most other regions of the UK. This research concludes that raising productivity levels in the more peripheral areas will require forging a more prominent role for urban centres in those areas, and strengthening links between those centres and their rural hinterlands59. Similarly, the SWARMMS report found that no wider economic impacts could be identified from improvements to the
58 Intra-regional connectivity in the South West. DTZ Pieda Consulting, April 2005 59 Productivity in the South West: Research Summary. Eric McVittie, South West Economy Centre, University of Plymouth Business School, 13 January 2003
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second strategic route, although transport efficiency would improve and road links with regeneration areas in Devon and Cornwall would be enhanced60.
8.9. Aspects that could help to improve Section 2 in sustainability terms include:
• Promote more strongly alternative approaches to achieving economic and social objectives that are not so reliant on access to London, the South East and overseas markets. In particular, place less emphasis on air travel. Continue to push for investment in rail travel rather than road, so rail becomes the mode of choice for long-distance journeys, rather than road or air.
Conclusions 8.10. Section 2 is absolutely fundamental to the remainder of the draft RSS because it sets
out the amount of growth that the region is planning to accommodate over the lifetime of the RSS.
8.11. The view of SWRA and SWRDA is that growth is inevitable, and that the key objective therefore should be to ensure that this growth is planned for positively, so that the region as a whole benefits from it. It is further argued that, to not plan for such growth could lead to a more unsustainable outcome. Indeed, the draft RES aims to demonstrate that economic growth in the South West can be secured within environmental limits to bring prosperity [for everyone] to the region61. This is followed through into the draft RSS.
8.12. However, the challenge in sustainability terms is the scale of growth as shown in Table 8.1:
Table 8.1: Scale of growth planned for in the draft RSS 2006-2026 Type of growth Estimated
number as at 2006 Additional planned
for in draft RSS 2006-2026
Percentage increase over 2006
Population 5,000,000 750,000 15% Needed 500,000* 22% Dwellings 2,280,000
Planned c. 460,000* 20% Jobs (not FTEs) 2,600,000 365,000 to 465,000 14% to 18%
* ‘Dwellings needed’ are the number of dwellings identified as being needed in Section 2 of the draft RSS. ‘Dwellings planned’ refers to the numbers of dwellings planned for in Section 4 of the draft RSS.
8.13. Taking dwellings as an example, a 500,000 increase in the number of dwellings in the South West is equivalent to another Devon (including Plymouth), or another two Cornwalls, spread across the region as a whole. Together with associated development for economic uses, transport, and social and community infrastructure, this represents a very high level of growth for the region. It will place considerable pressure on both the environment and infrastructure of the region.
8.14. The level of growth has been primarily determined by: 60 London to South West and South Wales Multi Modal Study (SWARMMS) Further Work by the Highways Agency. Report to South West Regional Assembly. Highways Agency, February 2004 61 Regional Economic Strategy for the South West of England 2006-2015. Draft for Consultation. SWRDA, September 2005
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• Forecasts of economic growth for the region derived from research undertaken to inform the RES.
• Likely increases in population arising from net in-migration.
• Changes in household size, arising from a general trend towards smaller households.
• The need to improve affordability of housing, and to respond to unmet housing need.
8.15. The GVA growth scenario is directly translated into job growth over the period of the draft RSS (365,000 to 465,000 additional jobs) and population growth (an increase of over 750,000 people resident in the region). What this implies is that the GVA growth scenario will lead to the creation of more jobs, and more people being needed to take up these jobs. Each is dependent on the other. In effect, a circular relationship exists:
Figure 8.1: The ‘growth circle’
Economic
growth
Population
growth Job
growth
8.16. Whilst this is a simplification of a complex relationship between economic, job, and population growth, it does raise issues about the implications of high GVA growth, since this has a direct bearing on the amount of housing, employment development, and related infrastructure to be planned for by the region. This in turn, has implications for the amount of resources that the South West consumes (and hence its ecological footprint), and the impacts on the environmental assets that Section 2 of the draft RSS states are such a valuable feature of the region.
8.17. It also raises issues about who is likely to benefit from the growth in GVA. The evidence base developed to inform the review of the RES62 found that the south West’s relatively low productivity measures are largely explained by a combination of:
• Relatively low capital/labour ratios.
• Weaknesses in both basic and high skills development and use.
62 Regional Economic Strategy for South West England 2006-2015 Evidence Base. SWRDA, February 2006
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• Time-distance from key economic hubs (large and flexible consumer markets, knowledge transfer networks, and flexible local labour networks).
8.18. The extent to which these issues are addressed in the draft RSS (and the RES) is therefore critical to determining the sustainability effects. Will it result in people currently out of a job being brought back into work, and will it generate more rewarding jobs for those in more deprived areas? Or is it more likely to benefit the additional 750,000 population who may be better placed to take up the jobs created and the wealth generated? And what will be the effects on the physical environment and resource use?
8.19. These are complex questions to answer. During the issues and options stage of the draft RSS, the SSA found that, in very broad terms, the higher the level of growth, the greater the likelihood of delivering jobs and housing to those who most need it, but also the greater the pressure on environmental assets and resources (although it may also allow for some investment to improve environments too). These findings follow through into the SSA of the draft RSS, which concludes that, despite strong policy safeguards, there is considerable uncertainty whether the growth proposed in the draft RSS can be delivered without having significant impacts on environmental quality and consumption of resources.
8.20. In this respect the findings of the Strategic Environmental Assessment undertaken of the draft RES are of note. This concluded that “the highest growth option would appear to favour, or least present, an enhanced opportunity to favour a more sustainable growth path”63. However, when looking at the detailed effects on different aspects of sustainability, despite likely positive effects on health and well-being and economic development of implementing the RES, the SEA found that there are likely to be mixed or neutral effects on many other aspects of sustainability. This appears to be consistent with the findings of the SSA of the draft RSS.
8.21. We acknowledge that the draft RSS aims to deliver growth in a sustainable way, although some aspects of the draft RSS are less sustainable than others, which means delivering on the ground will be critical. This reinforces the need for some form of ‘decision-making’ tool to help the region prioritise those aspects of the RSS where conflicts between growth and sustainability principles are likely. This would help to decide whether the growth should be accepted in the form being considered, whether there are alternative ways of delivering the benefits that the growth aims to deliver, and what conditions should apply in order to make the growth sustainable.
8.22. Whilst there are many issues surrounding the level of growth being planned for in the draft RSS, the strategy for directing and managing the growth is in line with the SSA headline objectives. Particularly strong aspects include:
• Its emphasis on supporting those communities that are not benefiting from the strong economy of the region as a whole, or who have difficulty accessing a range and type of housing.
63 The Environmental Report of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Regional Economic Strategy of the South West. Non-Technical Summary. Environmental Resources Management, September 2005
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• The adoption of a differential approach across the region, and between settlements in order to support role and function, and self-containment.
• The aim of aligning more closely jobs, homes and services in order to reduce the need to travel.
8.23. Finally, the draft RSS acknowledges that there are many uncertainties surrounding its forecasts. Some of these are related to national and international factors, such as the price of fuel and other natural resources, the vulnerability of foreign trade and long distance travel to geopolitical turmoil, terrorism, natural and human caused disasters, the growth of far eastern economies, etc. It is recognised that the economy is becoming ever more globalised, and there are concerns that if the South West is not able to compete in the global economy, then local businesses might suffer. There is also a fear, expressed in the draft RSS, that the footloose nature of investment means that, if economic development were to be turned away from the prosperous parts of the region, it would be likely to be lost to the South West.
8.24. However, given the aim in the draft RSS to develop the economy within environmental limits, and the uncertainties outside of the control and influence of the South West, we believe a reasonable alternative to the draft RSS that should be examined in detail is an approach to development and activity in the region that is less dependent upon its national and international links, and footloose investment. This could help reduce its exposure to external factors, making it more resilient to outside shocks, and at the same time reduce its ecological footprint. Whilst this would go against the grain of current thinking, it may offer alternative sustainability advantages that have not yet been explored.
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9. SECTION 3 OF THE DRAFT RSS: THE SPATIAL STRATEGY AND GUIDANCE FOR THE SCALE AND LOCATION OF DEVELOPMENT
Introduction 9.1. This Section of the draft RSS sets out the overall spatial strategy for the period
covered by the RSS. It is divided into the following components:
• Spatial strategy statement.
• The scale and location of development.
• Development at the Strategically Significant Cities and Towns (SSCTs).
• Development at other towns.
• Accommodating development in small towns and villages.
• Delivering development in accessible places, improving accessibility and providing key infrastructure to realise the spatial strategy.
• Creating sustainable high quality living and working environments.
• Implementation.
• Strategic priorities for investment in transport and other facilities to support the spatial strategy.
What does the draft RSS section say? 9.2. The overall approach to the spatial strategy is summed up in the Spatial Strategy
Statement. The principle underlying the spatial strategy is that different parts of the region have different needs and potential for change, and that different settlements have different roles and functions. The most significant change is anticipated to take place at 23 Strategically Significant Cities and Towns (SSCTs), in order to support their economic and service role and regeneration, and that smaller scale change outside of the SSCTs will aim to achieve more self contained, balanced communities and a better local environment.
9.3. There are different emphases (realising economic and other potential; stimulating economic activity and development; managing growth within identified environmental limits) to reflect the diversity of different settlements and the characteristics of different parts of the region.
9.4. About 15,500 jobs and at least 15,075 dwellings are to be delivered in the SSCTs (Development Policy A), with development at other towns (Development Policy B), small towns and villages (Development Policy C) dependent upon their meeting
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certain criteria, largely related to promoting self-containment. The approach to Green Belt boundaries is also addressed.
9.5. The Section includes the approach to the provision of infrastructure (transport, community services, green infrastructure) (Development Policy D) together with a statement on the region’s priorities for investment. It provides guidance on how to make development of a higher quality and more sustainable (Development Policies E to G). A brownfield target of 50% of new development to be built on previously developed land including conversion of existing buildings is provided (Development Policy H) and how proposals for the release, redevelopment or disposal of land must be in general conformity with, and not compromise, delivery of the draft RSS. Co-ordinated implementation and joint working for SSCTs and networks of smaller towns and villages is encouraged (Development Policy I).
What are the likely effects on the SSA headline objectives? 9.6. The appraisal matrices to accompany the following analysis of Section 7 policies can
be found in Appendix B3.
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health The Development Policies generally should be good for health, and could help to reduce health inequalities, given the emphasis on regeneration and addressing deprivation. Development Policy A and policies E to G should be particularly beneficial. The positive effects are likely to be both direct and indirect, arise mainly in the SSCTs, and be short to long-term.
The scale of development, and the construction of large-scale infrastructure could be stressful for those most affected.
Support communities that meet people’s needs The Development Policies should have positive effects on this SA objective. These are likely to be significant in the case of the SSCTs and possibly some of the settlements meeting the criteria set under Development Policy B. The thrust of the policies is to deliver better quality development and environments, particularly in the SSCTs, and to align homes better with jobs, supported by much improved public transport. Similarly, there is strong emphasis on the provision of health, education, culture, sport, recreation, amenity and green infrastructure and services. Development Policies E to G are particularly positive. The positive effects are likely to be most marked in the SSCTs, and be delivered in the short to medium term.
The effects outside the SSCTs are more difficult to ascertain, although there is now more emphasis in Development Policies B and C on role and function. Despite this, there remains some uncertainty about the ability to meet the needs of more rural communities. Major transport infrastructure could lead to some disruption to communities.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs The Development Policies generally should bring positive effects. The aim to achieve regeneration and reduce disparities is particularly important. The great majority of new jobs (80%) are forecast to be created in the SSCTs, so directing the majority of new housing to these settlements should help bring the two into line. Development Policies F and H should support this
Given that over half the population lives in rural communities, there is some uncertainty whether the economic and employment needs of these communities will be met (appropriate to their rural
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Positive effects Negative effects approach through mixed use development and re-using brownfield land and buildings. Care will be needed to ensure that ‘realising the economic and other potential’ supports and does not undermine ‘stimulating economic activity’ in the western part of the peninsula and Forest of Dean. The (sustainable) economic potential of the coast and opportunities arising out of climate change are not specifically mentioned. The positive effects are likely to be a mix of direct and indirect, arise particularly in the SSCTs but also settlements meeting the criteria of Development Policy B.
location, and helping to reduce the need to travel).
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Through strengthening the role and function of the 23 SSCTs, and achieving more self contained, balanced communities elsewhere, there will be a reduced need to travel by car. Investment in economic activity, services and housing in accordance with this approach should help to achieve this. Development Policy B aims not to exacerbate the role of dormitory settlements. Development Policies F and H should also help. The majority of the infrastructure listed in Development Policy D is likely to support this objective.
The positive benefits could be undermined by improvements in road transport. For example, it has been estimated that there could be an increase of up to 75% in traffic on the M5 at Exeter by 2026, facilitated in part by investment in the second strategic road route and local road improvements.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets The emphasis on green infrastructure is likely to be beneficial to biodiversity, landscapes and townscapes, so long as this not at the expense of loss of existing assets. Development Policy E sets down high standards of design, including urban form. Sustainable drainage solutions are included in Development Policy G. Environmental limits are specifically mentioned with respect to the south east of the region, but there are many other limits elsewhere. The text supporting Development Policy A aims specifically to improve the quality of the urban environment. Text supporting Development Policy C refers to certain economic activity that maintains and enhances the quality of the environment and distinctive quality of the landscape. The positive effects are likely to be direct in the short to long-term. The SWARMMS study found that the provision of a bypass would have a moderate beneficial effect on the townscape of Henlade.
The SWARMMS study found that improvements of the second strategic route into the South West (i.e. A303/A358) would have minor adverse impacts on landscape and moderate adverse impacts on biodiversity. It is not clear from the SWARMMS study how far cumulative and indirect effects have been taken into account.
Given the scale of development, there will be a need for significant greenfield landtake, particularly in the vicinity of the SSCTs. The effects of development on landscapes and townscapes is difficult to judge, given the scale of development, and the fact that this is best determined on a site-by-site basis. The historic environment is not given much emphasis. Minimise consumption of natural resources Development Policy G in particular strongly supports the achievement of this objective (the inclusion of refurbished buildings is particularly positive). The effects are likely to be both global (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions) and region-wide (resource use), short to
Road infrastructure improvements could generate more traffic and hence greenhouse gas emissions. The consumption and extraction of
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Positive effects Negative effects long-term, and direct. The better alignment of homes and jobs may help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport if people actually travel less in response. The Environment Agency has indicated that the proposed level of development can be accommodated, so long as efficiency and new resource measures are put in place, with particular urgency in Severn and South West Oxfordshire Water Resource Zones. Development Policy A aims to reduce pollution and blight, but this is not mentioned in any of the other policies.
minerals could be minimised by obviating the need for new infrastructure in the first place.
What improvements (e.g. mitigation, enhancement) could be made?
The Spatial Strategy Statement (also covering Policies SR1, SR25 and SR32 of Section 4 of the draft RSS)
9.7. The overall Spatial Strategy has many sustainability advantages, particularly its emphasis on the diversity of the region, and the recognition that different settlements have different roles and functions that are not necessarily dependent upon their size. The emphasis on self containment and reducing disparities are also likely to lead to significant sustainability benefits. The division of the region into three broad sub regional areas is largely consistent with the findings of the report ‘Better Planning of Rural Areas in the South West’, which sought to recognise the diversity in character and functional relationships of rural areas as well as urban areas, and the relationship between the two, and how these vary across the region64.
9.8. However, the difference in the draft RSS between ‘realising economic and other potential’ and ‘stimulating economic activity and development’ is not clear, and it is uncertain whether the former is likely to support or undermine the latter. It should be borne in mind that, in order to reduce inequalities, underperforming areas need to increase their performance faster than areas that are already performing well. Reference to ‘environmental limitations’ is in accordance with sustainability principles. Whilst the particular limitations of the south eastern part of the region are specifically mentioned, there are significant limitations elsewhere. The statement would be enhanced if it were to:
• Give clear guidance that growth should be managed within environmental limits throughout the region, and that opportunities for environmental improvements should be sought through development in general and regeneration in particular.
• Be explicit that ‘environmental limitations’ includes resource use as well as environmental assets.
64 Better Planning of Rural Areas in the South West. Land Use Consultants, July 2004
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Development Policies A, B, C (linked policies) plus Development Policy J
9.9. The Functional Analysis of Settlements report concluded that, in addition to the PUAs listed in RPG10 (Bristol, Bath, Swindon, Exeter, Plymouth, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bournemouth-Poole, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, and Torbay), the settlements of Weymouth, Salisbury, Yeovil, Dorchester, Barnstaple, the Cornish towns of Truro, Camborne/Redruth, Falmouth and St. Austell should be named in emerging RSS as being places where a strategic element of growth is located65.
• Development Policy A is broadly in line with the Functional Analysis of Settlements study, although it omits St. Austell, and adds Chippenham. The reasons for this need to be explained.
9.10. The Functional Analysis of Settlements report also gives recommendations regarding a number of settlements, such as those that perform a complementary or classic dormitory role, or where there are groups of settlements, which although individually are relatively small in population and employment terms, operate as a tight, local network of settlements. Development Policies A and B require that, where dormitory relationships exist, these should not be exacerbated by development proposals in LDDs.
9.11. In response to the SSA, both Policies B and C are now more explicit about using an analysis of role and function of settlements to identify appropriate new development. The draft RSS does not, however, attempt to distinguish between rural areas in different parts of the region, although the supporting text does make reference to ‘accessible rural areas’ and ‘remoter rural areas’, without specifically stating where these are. Over half the region’s population live outside the SSCTs, and in net terms around 87% of economically active residents outside the SSCTs do not work in the SSCTs (from analysis of ONS 2001 data undertaken by LUC). Some of the smaller towns are more self contained than some of the larger settlements, some operate as tight networks of settlements, and some may have distinct sustainability advantages where local needs are met locally. This is not specifically addressed in the draft RSS.
9.12. Affordable housing is often likely to be as important as economic development in many smaller towns and villages. Although affordable housing is mentioned in the supporting text, it is not explicitly mentioned in Development Policies B or C. Housing is not mentioned at all in Development Policy B. Because large parts of the South West fall outside the sub-regions in Section 4 of the draft RSS, it could be questioned whether the draft RSS is as clear as it could be about how to plan for the rural parts of the region, and it could say more about how their characteristics vary across the region. Any development permitted outside of the SSCTs should be in accordance with the sustainability principles set out in Policies SD1 to SD4, as should development within the SSCTs.
9.13. 160,000 (35%) of the total dwellings over the RSS period are planned to be delivered outside of the SSCTs (i.e. in settlements identified under Development Policies B and C). This should allow some opportunities for the role and function of such settlements to be strengthened. It may also offer some scope for such settlements to
65 Functional Analysis of Settlements. Roger Tym & Partners, April 2005
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accommodate some of the in-migration, without undermining the overall aim of the draft RSS to accommodate the vast majority of the total increase in the SSCTs. The difficulty here is matching where the draft RSS would like new people arriving in the region to live (i.e. primarily the SSCTs) and where they want to live (since many people are likely to be moving to the South West to seek the small town and rural village lifestyle that characterises much of the region).
9.14. The Review of Urban Housing Capacity and Potential Studies in the South West66 identified capacity for 76,776 dwellings for the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2016 within the 23 SSCTs (excluding Camborne/Redruth, Taunton, and Torbay, for which information was not provided) of which 61,875 dwellings (81%) was identified as brownfield land. The identified urban capacity for the region as a whole (greenfield and brownfield, for those authorities where data were provided) was for 182,177 dwellings. Less than half (42%) of the identified capacity is within the 23 named settlements (excluding those for which data were not provided). The draft RSS, however, is planning for 300,000 (65%) of additional dwellings to be delivered at the 23 named SSCTs.
9.15. This suggests that well over half of development to be delivered at the SSCTs (it is difficult to be precise given the data available) will need to be delivered by a combination of increasing densities on known sites, and by identifying new sites. It is highly likely that many of these sites will be greenfield. This is not to say that development of greenfield sites is worse for sustainability than brownfield, since this is highly dependent upon individual site characteristics. Not all brownfield sites are in sustainable locations (which is now recognised in Development Policy H in response to the SSA), and some will have their own wildlife, recreational and amenity value, which should be recognised and protected or substituted for through development. However, the development of greenfield land will mean a permanent change of use. This means ensuring that development is very carefully thought-through so that the benefits that they currently (or potentially) provide (for biodiversity, recreation, amenity, landscape character, as gathering grounds for water resources, flood storage, etc.) continue to be provided as part of the development package.
9.16. With respect to Green Belts, the ‘Strategic Green Belt Review’ study67 concluded that “across all three Green Belts there are limited numbers of locations where urban expansion could be achieved without significantly and adversely affecting the purpose of the Green Belts”. However, the report notes that “there is a need for more careful analysis of the areas of search in order to assess capacity in relation to quality of landscape and general issues of sustainability” and that “the reviews of Green Belt undertaken will probably not be able to provide for the period beyond the time horizon of the emerging RSS”. It goes on to state that “for the reviews to have endured for longer, all potential developments would need to have been considered, including more radical, and possibly, more sustainable strategic options”. For this reason, it is difficult to draw conclusions on the sustainability advantages and disadvantages of the text in the draft RSS on Green Belts.
66 Review of Urban Housing Capacity and Potential Studies in the South West. Baker Associates, July 2005 67 Strategic Green Belt Review. Colin Buchanan & Partners, January 2006
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9.17. Development Policy J primarily focuses on the SSCTs, but in response to an earlier recommendation of the SSA, it now includes reference to similar coordination outside of the SSCTs, for example where there are networks of small towns and villages.
9.18. Aspects where Development Policies A to C could be improved include:
• Consider whether the RSS could give clearer guidance for the rural areas of the South West, particularly outside the sub-regions covered in Section 4 of the draft RSS, with attention to paid to the differing characteristics of rural communities (and how they relate to one another) in different parts of the region, so that where positive sustainability advantages of development are apparent (e.g. where it strengthens local communities, local service markets, local economies, and helps to secure or support essential village services such as schools), these can be explicitly supported and planned for. The link between housing development necessary to support employment locally needs to be backed up by mechanisms to ensure that housing is used for this purpose.
• Development Policies B and C could include specific reference to supporting development that is linked to sustainable management of the land and environmental assets.
• Re-word the criterion in Development Policy C to ‘reduce’ traffic on local roads as part of the overall aim of promoting self-containment.
Development Policy D and Regional Statement of Priorities for Investment
9.19. The effects of Development Policy D on sustainability objectives are likely to be mixed. The region maintains that it has an ‘infrastructure deficit’ that needs to be addressed if it is to deliver the development proposals in the draft RSS. This implies that the region is being unfairly disadvantaged, although many, and possibly all, other regions are making similar cases.
9.20. The starting point for analysis of infrastructure need should be to identify where there is an excess of demand over current capacity. Where this is proven, they need to be brought back into line. This should involve a combination of reducing demand and increasingly supply: in transport, energy, water, sewerage, waste, etc. reducing demand is generally more sustainable than increasing capacity. It is less damaging to local interests and amenities, less prone to raising induced demand (e.g. as happens when new roads are built or roads improved), and is often cheaper to deliver. The package of transport measures that includes demand management and investment in public transport, at least in the more urban areas, is a positive approach in this respect. In response to the SSA, Development Policy D now includes a clause that existing infrastructure be used most effectively, which is an improvement, although it does not capture the recommendation to reduce the need for infrastructure in the first place.
9.21. With respect to green infrastructure, there is a clear need to enhance many townscapes and landscapes of the region, and rebuild the biodiversity resource, but this should not be at the expense of losing what it is already there. Similarly, with
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respect to health infrastructure, it is more sustainable and probably cheaper to reduce demand for expensive health infrastructure by enabling people to live healthier lifestyles.
9.22. The main kinds of development where ‘deficits’ are most likely are education, culture, sport and recreation. The positive benefits of the provision of such infrastructure are highlighted in the assessment. But even here, it would be better to make better use of existing facilities, before building more. In response to an earlier recommendation of the SSA, Development Policy E now requires all new, replacement and refurbished public buildings to be designed to have multiple uses as far as possible.
9.23. The ‘second strategic route’ raises a number of significant sustainability issues, as do improvements in ‘connectivity’ in general, if the RSS is to reduce the need/desire to travel by car and in particular achieve its greenhouse gas emissions targets. The promotion of the ‘second strategic route’ is on the premise that the relative ‘peripherality’ of the South West is a problem to be tackled, rather than an asset to be maintained. It also runs the risk of exposing the more peripheral parts of the region to businesses in other parts of the country that are already highly competitive. It could lead to increased house prices exacerbating the existing affordability problem for local people, and increased traffic in general on local roads many of which are ill-equipped to cope (without further improvements, etc.). Whether this will be of benefit is questionable. An alternative approach would be to concentrate on a higher degree of self-sufficiency in the more peripheral parts of the region that is founded on the distinctive strengths and qualities that this part of the region has to offer. This may not necessarily be as productive in GVA terms, but it could offer a different type of economic activity and lifestyle that may be attractive to many, would increase resilience to external shocks, and reduce the demand for travel.
9.24. The Region’s Priorities for Investment to Support the Spatial Strategy includes investment in urban transport systems and demand management with a step change in public transport support, with investment to enable high growth to be accommodated. This is to be welcomed in sustainability terms, so long as investment in safe and attractive walking and cycling networks is included. The Priorities for Investment includes a clause to ensure that sufficient resources are available within locally determined funding sources to enable rural accessibility and congestion in small towns across the region to be addressed. Again, this is to be welcomed so long as it does not result in an increase in traffic.
9.25. The introduction of a new priority for investment – the regional carbon offset fund – is an innovative and positive statement in sustainability terms.
9.26. The proposals in the draft RSS could be improved by:
• Investigating ways of reducing the need for new infrastructure by reducing demand in the first place (in addition to using existing infrastructure more effectively, which is now included in the draft RSS).
• Working with Government to reduce traffic demand on strategic routes (e.g. through road user charging on inter-urban routes) in order to offset the need to increase capacity of these routes (the draft RSS already aims to address traffic
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demand within the more urban areas though a package of demand management and public transport investment).
• Specifically mentioning investment in safe and attractive walking and cycling networks in the second bullet under the Region’s Priorities for Investment to Support the Spatial Strategy.
• Adding to the third bullet under the Region’s Priorities for Investment to Support the Spatial Strategy the need for investment in local services in order to reduce the need to travel, and specifically mention that addressing rural accessibility and congestion in small towns should not make the car more attractive to use, but should aim to reduce traffic overall.
• Considering linking contributions to infrastructure funds to the demand development places on infrastructure so that more sustainable developments will be rewarded with smaller payments to the fund.
Development Policies E, F, G, H and I
9.27. Development Policies E to H are generally excellent for sustainability, recording significant positive benefits across a number of SSA objectives and criteria, and they are even stronger in sustainability terms as a result of earlier recommendations of the SSA. No significant adverse effects have been identified.
9.28. Improvements include reference to multiple use of public buildings (Development Policy E), emphasis on low energy and car use in urban extensions, the requirement for major development to meet the top level 5 of the emerging ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’ including carbon neutrality, taking action to improve energy efficiency in existing buildings and best current standards in refurbished buildings, following Lifetime Homes standards and Secure by Design principles (Development Policy G), and the recognition that brownfield land may not always be in the most sustainable locations (Development Policy H). The inclusion of the new Development Policy I, which requires that proposals for the release, redevelopment or disposal of land owned by public bodies must be in general conformity with, and not compromise, delivery of the draft RSS, is also a positive improvement.
9.29. If development is delivered in accordance with these policies, then very significant progress towards sustainability will have been made. As with other aspects of the draft RSS, the challenge will be in delivering on these policies given the scale of development, the speed with which it will be delivered, and difficulties with enforcement.
9.30. There are two outstanding recommendations with respect to Development Policies F and H:
• Increase the dwelling density levels for development within urban areas, urban extensions and where sites are close to public transport more in line with draft PPS 3. This states that densities for urban sites should be above 70 dwellings per hectare and between 40 and 75 dwellings per hectare elsewhere in urban areas (i.e. areas which are generally denser than more suburban areas and comprise a
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mix of residential and employment areas). Such densities are needed to reduce the need to travel by car, and to make the most efficient use of land.
• For brownfield land, introduce criteria to ensure that any existing value that this might have (e.g. wildlife, recreation or amenity) is recognised and protected/substituted (a similar approach should apply to greenfield land).
Conclusions 9.31. There is much to commend in sustainability terms in the over spatial strategy
included in the draft RSS. A key theme of the draft RSS is the emphasis on “significant change at 23 Strategically Significant Cities and Towns in order to support their economic and service role and regeneration” coupled with an approach that aims to recognise the diversity of the region.
9.32. The majority of new development will take place at the SSCTs, where there is a focus on improving the quality of the urban environment, access to jobs and services, providing for economic opportunities, tackling congestion, and assisting regeneration.
9.33. This has many positive benefits for sustainability, since:
• The SSCTs are forecast to be where the majority of new jobs are likely to be created over the period of the RSS.
• It will help to better align the delivery of new dwellings with these new jobs, and in so doing help to reduce the need to travel by car.
• Urban areas offer many opportunities to live more sustainable lifestyles – the density of urban development can make it easier to deliver viable public transport, enable people to walk and cycle to where they need to get to, provide for greater local access to services for a greater number of people, introduce low and zero carbon technologies such as Combined Heat & Power, and reduce the amount of land needed for development.
9.34. Many of these sustainability benefits may also arise in some of the smaller towns that fall under Development Policy B.
9.35. To achieve these sustainability outcomes is highly dependent upon people wishing to live and work in the urban areas, which is in itself dependent upon the diversity and quality of the jobs on offer, the attractiveness of dwellings available to them and the environments in which they are set, and the quality of community services (e.g. education, health, etc.) and greenspace. This is particularly important given the perceived qualities that more rural areas have to offer (often dependent upon having access to a car), and that many people arriving in the South West may be seeking to live in more rural locations or smaller towns. It is essential, therefore, that the urban areas offer at least as an attractive live-work option as some of the more rural parts of the region.
9.36. However, over half the region’s population currently live outside of the SSCTs, and it is important that these are positively planned for too so that their own sustainability
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advantages can be realised. The report ‘Better Planning of Rural Areas in the South West’ warned against “over-simplistic approaches to rural planning”, stating that:
“For decades planning for rural communities has been based on ideas of how they are hoped to function, rather than how they actually function – seriously diluting policy effectiveness.
“The RSS’s regional vision has to recognise that rural communities across the region are very different. Visions for them will share common elements, such as maximising localisation of service use and employment, and reducing car dependency, but this will mean different things in different places.
“Where towns are found to be the functional hubs of local rural life this role should be encouraged, but where this is not the case planning should address functional rural communities, which may mean needing to acknowledge the influence of urban neighbours, or networks of towns. In those towns close to urban areas it may be appropriate to discourage growth, whereas in remoter areas it may be encouraged. The same is true for villages – their future planning should be based on their current function and thus their potential future contributions to sustainable functional communities”.
9.37. The draft RSS does aim to take on board the above approach, and now makes specific reference to basing plans for development in market towns, small towns and villages on analysis of role and function. But it could still be questioned whether the advice contained within it gives as clear a strategic direction for communities outside the SSCTs as it does for the SSCTs. It is essential that the approach to more rural communities supports the approach to SSCTs, and does not undermine it. For example, the ‘Better Planning of Rural Areas in the South West’ report states that the RSS should not add development to towns and villages where it would foster increased car use (e.g. by creating commuter towns and villages), or where it would detract from urban regeneration. Instead it argues for a more sub-regional and local approach to rural planning based on sound evidence of the function of different settlements in different parts of the region (including the relationship between different settlements, and in some parts of the region with larger urban neighbours), and how these can be strengthened in order to achieve sustainability outcomes.
9.38. Development Policies B and C are meant to apply to all market towns, small towns and villages, wherever they are in the South West, with no differentiation across the region. For example, there may be some parts of the South West, such as more remote self-contained areas, where growth of smaller settlements may offer some sustainability advantages. In other areas, such as National Parks, AONBs, and on the coast, there may be different opportunities and constraints that need to be taken in account. Whether Development Policies B and C provide sufficient guidance for this to happen could be questioned.
9.39. Development Policies E, F, G, H and I are very positive for sustainability. The successful application of these policies will be important if the Sustainable Development Policies SD1 to SD4 are to be achieved.
9.40. Development Policy D (and the Region’s Priorities for Investment to Support the Spatial Strategy) has both sustainability strengths and weaknesses. Its support for
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investment in community services, such as education, health, culture, sport and green infrastructure should bring a range of positive effects. Investment in transport infrastructure will not always bring positive benefits, with some road-based schemes in particular potentially leading to negative effects (e.g. impacts on landscape and biodiversity, and accommodating increased traffic flows and hence greenhouse gas emissions). Investment in public transport, walking and cycling will be more positive. In general terms, the most sustainable approach would be to reduce the need for such infrastructure in the first place.
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10. SECTION 4 OF THE DRAFT RSS: SUB REGIONAL STRATEGY STATEMENTS AND HOUSING DISTRIBUTION
SUB REGIONAL STRATEGY STATEMENTS
Introduction 10.1. The first part of Section 4 of the draft RSS summarises the way in which development
in different parts of the region is to be guided in the future, recognising that the region is not uniform and different approaches to development will be relevant in different areas. The section is divided into three broad sub-divisions of the region: the north and centre of the region; the south eastern; and the western peninsula. Within each of these sub-divisions, the key SSCTs are examined grouped with associated towns.
10.2. For 20 of the SSCTs, nine detailed sub-regional studies were undertaken – the Joint Study Areas (JSAs) (see SSA Method Chapter 2). These were subject to SSA by the relevant Strategic Planning Authorities which were subsequently used by the Regional SSA team to form the basis of the appraisal of the sub-regional strategies presented in Section 4 of the draft RSS. The detailed appraisal of each sub-regional strategy is included in Appendix C to this SSA Report. A summary of the findings of these appraisals are presented below.
10.3. As the JSA SSAs focused on the nine sub-regional studies, those policies for the SSCTs not included within them have not been appraised in any detail, due to insufficient information. This applies to Chippenham (SR22), Trowbridge (SR23) and Yeovil (SR24) in the north and centre of the Region; Salisbury (SR30) and Dorchester and Weymouth (SR31) in the south east of the Region; and Barnstaple and Bideford (SR43) in the western peninsular.
10.4. The following sections present an overview of what is contained in the draft RSS for each of the sub-regions, the likely effect of the strategy in each on the SSA headline objectives and any improvements that could be made. The nine sub-regional strategies covered are:
• West of England (SR2 – SR6).
• Swindon (SR7 – SR9).
• Gloucester and Cheltenham (SR10 – SR14).
• Exeter (SR15 – SR18).
• Taunton and Bridgewater (SR20 – SR21).
• South East Dorset (SR26 – SR29).
• Plymouth, South East Cornwall and South West Devon (SR33 – SR35).
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• Torbay and South East Dorset (SR36 – SR37).
• Cornish Towns and Isles of Scilly (SR38 – SR41).
What does the draft RSS section say?
West of England
10.5. The sub-regional strategy for the West of England can be summarised as:
• Realising the economic potential of Bristol, Weston super Mare and Bath and seeking to achieve a high quality of life.
• Maximising the use of previously developed land and buildings within a revised green belt to make provision for significant urban extensions for mixed use development.
• Bristol to maintain its role as the economic hub of the Core City and of the South West. In Bath growth to respect its historic status and in Weston super Mare the strategy will be one of regeneration.
Swindon
10.6. The sub-regional strategy for Swindon can be summarised as:
• Maximising the economic opportunities with provision for job growth.
• Development focusing on regeneration of the town’s central area.
• A strategic urban extension on the eastern side.
Gloucester and Cheltenham
10.7. The sub-regional strategy for Gloucester and Cheltenham can be summarised as:
• In Gloucester, maximising economic opportunities to assist in regenerating the central area. Provision for job growth and new dwellings in the urban area and at a strategic urban extension to the north.
• In Cheltenham, continue to realise economic opportunities whilst protecting and enhancing the environment and regenerating the central area. Provision for job growth and new dwellings in the urban area and a strategic urban extension to the north/north west.
Exeter
10.8. The sub-regional strategy for Exeter can be summarised as:
• Realise its economic opportunities as a major regional centre with provision for job growth and regenerating the central area.
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• Provision of employment land and dwellings in the city, in a New Community at Cranbrook and a strategic urban extension or new community to the eastern or southern side of Exeter in the latter part of the plan period.
Taunton and Bridgwater
10.9. The sub-regional strategy for Taunton and Bridgwater can be summarised as:
• Realise the economic potential of the urban areas, including Taunton, Bridgwater and Wellington with job growth and provision of dwellings. Recognising the relationship between the settlements.
• Development in Taunton to focus on regenerating the central area, reuse of previously developed land and buildings and the provision of a strategic urban extension to the north east.
South East Dorset
10.10. The sub-regional strategy for South East Dorset can be summarised as:
• Maximising the use of previously developed land and buildings within the conurbations with urban extensions within a revised green belt.
• Realise the economic potential through job growth and focus on the airport and university.
• Development to reflect the extremely high value of the surrounding environmental assets and address the implications arising from the European Habitats Directive.
Plymouth, South East Cornwall and South West Devon
10.11. The sub-regional strategy for Plymouth, South East Cornwall and South West Devon can be summarised as:
• Seek to provide a range of employment opportunities, services and facilities to facilitate greater investment in the urban fabric, regeneration, affordable housing, etc.
• Provision for employment land and growth in jobs along with dwellings in or adjacent to the urban area to intensify it. A strategic urban extension to the east of Plymouth at Sherford New Community and dwellings adjacent to Saltash and Torpoint.
• Reflect the “Mackay Vision”.
Torbay and South East Devon
10.12. The sub-regional strategy for Torbay and South East Devon can be summarised as:
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• Stimulate the economy and focus development on the intensification of the existing urban area. Urban extensions brought forward to deliver dwellings and employment through LDDs.
• Greater investment in the physical fabric and quantity of affordable housing.
Cornish Towns and Isles of Scilly
10.13. The sub-regional strategy for the Cornish Towns and Isles of Scilly can be summarised as:
• Focusing the majority of development in Truro, Camborne-Pool-Redruth (CPR) and Falmouth-Penryn and intensifying these urban areas through the use of previously developed land and buildings.
• A proposed urban extension to Truro.
• Housing for local people and economic diversification in the Isles of Scilly.
10.14. Policies relating to the other towns in Cornwall are covered under Development Policy B and key infrastructure requirements are identified in the Implementation Plan.
What are the likely effects on the SSA headline objectives?
West of England
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health Improving the quality of housing should have positive health effects, especially where there are currently deprived / excluded communities. The emphasis on access and urban regeneration should improve accessibility of health services and facilities.
Population expansion could put increased pressure on existing health services. Development for example at Bristol Airport and promoting connectivity to motorways is likely to continue the trend of car reliance and negative social and health impacts related to this.
Support communities that meet people’s needs The strategy aims to provide better balance between employment and housing. This should in turn reduce the dependence on commuting, particularly into Bristol from Weston super Mare. Potential benefits from proposed improvements / increases in public transport provision. Regeneration and urban focussed development, could improve cultural, health and education provision.
Promoting connectivity to motorways, and economic growth focussed strategy may undermine aims to improve communities and provide for local needs.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs Central aim of draft strategy is the realisation of economic potential and provision for jobs.
Emphasis on growth rather than suitability to local needs may develop an economy which relies on connectivity while
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Positive effects Negative effects providing little benefit for existing deprived and excluded communities in the area. The aim to develop Bristol Airport, and connectivity to the motorway network could lead to economic ‘leakage’ rather than sub-regional benefit. Congestion is already a major problem (and economic cost) to the sub-region. The current draft RSS sub-regional strategy may exacerbate rather than alleviate this.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Potential benefits from proposed improvements / increases in public transport provision. The strategy also focuses on a better balance of housing and employment. The urban centred development and regeneration are likely to improve access, by providing services in easily accessible locations.
Population increase could put strain on existing services and amenities, as well as increasing congestion. Expansion of Bristol Airport will increase air travel.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets The strategy recognises the important environmental and heritage value of Bath. Urban centred development proposed is likely to ease pressure on rural settings, though the scale of urban extension proposed implies a degree of loss to greenfield sites. Where public transport and non-car transport manages to offset car travel, positive environmental effects are possible.
The expansion proposed at Bristol Airport is likely to have significant negative impacts, both through the airport itself (flights, footprint) and through access related (travel to and from, conversion of farmland to car-parking etc.). The emphasis on providing new links to M4, M5 and the airport all likely to encourage greater car / freight movement and related negative impacts. The urban extension at Bath could affect the historic integrity of the city.
The revision of green belt boundaries will be required for urban extensions and the airport. Flooding (both tidal and fluvial) and drainage will be issues to consider within the West of England, especially Weston-Super-Mare but also Bristol. Impacts on the Severn Estuary SAC/SPA will need to be considered and a positive approach taken to the planning to deal with coastal squeeze. Minimise consumption of natural resources None identified. Construction of housing / infrastructure,
increased economic activity and population growth are likely to increase consumption, and waste generation.
Swindon
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health Potential benefits from expansion of health provision at the Great Western Hospital and across the urban area and beneficial health
Increasing population / housing by the amount proposed will put strain on existing health services.
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Positive effects Negative effects effects from public transport, walking and cycling provision improvements. Emphasis on regeneration of the urban centre is likely to create a healthier and more supportive community. The focus on skills, education and leisure / sporting facilities are also likely to benefit the health of population in long-term. Support communities that meet people’s needs The strategy includes an emphasis on regeneration and provision of ‘appropriate’ physical and social infrastructure and balancing the provision of housing and jobs. The focus on improving public transport and provision for walking and cycling should help accessibility of amenities and services.
Focus on ‘building on good access and connectivity with London, European and Global markets’ may have strong economic effects, but could impact negatively on existing communities, especially those already marginalised / excluded.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs Central to the strategy is the creation of employment. It is important that these are suitable and accessible to local people. Potential benefits from the focus on the regeneration of the town centre and increased skill provision through the establishment of a university
Too much focus on the urban area may adversely affect the rural area’s economies, particularly the market towns.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Focus on improving public transport and provision for walking and cycling should help make amenities and services more accessible. Regeneration, increased density and emphasis on balancing provision of housing and jobs, should bring people and their needs closer.
Focus on connectivity to London and beyond, may undermine efforts to support local communities.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets Demand management and improvement of public transport / non-car modes of transport should ease environmental pressure.
Expansion of urban area could result in loss of habitat and green-space and related negative impact on biodiversity and natural environment.
Flood risk issues arise across the favoured development areas and attention will need to be given to this issue (including involvement of the Environment Agency and flood risk assessment). Minimise consumption of natural resources None identified. Building new dwellings and associated
infrastructure on the scale proposed will use significant resources, energy and land. Waste and pollution are likely to be generated both during construction and habitation of new dwellings, and through creation of new infrastructure. Increased population and economic activity are likely to increase the use of natural resources and the generation of waste.
There will be potential pressures on Swindon’s waste water treatments system, as well as water resources.
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Gloucester and Cheltenham
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health Concentrating development in urban areas should encourage greater walking and cycling, this will have beneficial health effects. Where development and urban renaissance results in improved quality of housing, health benefits are also likely.
Increasing population will potentially put strain on existing health facilities.
Support communities that meet people’s needs Where housing and employment are brought closer together, it is more likely that people will find suitable local opportunities. Emphasis on education and urban renaissance is likely to improve community cohesion.
Lack of support for rural service needs and access may lead to increased isolation and exclusion in some communities.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs Central aim of draft strategy is the realisation of economic potential and provision for jobs. It is important that these are suitable and accessible to local people. Potential benefits from the regeneration of the centre of Cheltenham.
Too much focus on the urban area may adversely affect the rural areas economies, particularly the market towns.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Proposed public transport and provision for walking and cycling improvement will improve access for all. More urban-centred development is likely to increase access to facilities for those living in these areas.
Population increase could put a strain on existing services and amenities.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets Concentration of growth / development in urban centres is likely to ease environmental pressures in rural areas.
Development on the scale proposed, increased economic activity and increased population will all put pressure on environmental assets. Proposed urban extensions could have significant environmental effects, even where they are designed and planned ‘carefully’. There are potential flood risk issues associated Cheltenham and Gloucester, including the proposed urban extension north west of Cheltenham. Revision of green belt for urban extensions may result in loss of greenfield sites.
Minimise consumption of natural resources None identified
Potential waste water treatment constraint with discharges to the River Chelt a sensitive area requiring phosphate removal. Maintaining the required standards is possible, but dilution rates are already low.
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Positive effects Negative effects Development on the scale proposed, construction of new housing and infrastructure, influx of new population are likely to increase consumption of natural resources, and in turn increase production of waste.
Exeter
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health Where housing quality is improved health benefits are likely. Concentrating development in urban areas and close to jobs should encourage walking and cycling. If ‘step change’ in public transport use is achieved this would have health benefits, in particular reducing air pollution and accidents related to car transport where this is reduced.
Population expansion could put increased pressure on existing health services.
Support communities that meet people’s needs The strategy aims to provide better balance between labour and housing markets. The aim for the New Community and urban extensions is to provide high quality of life, through design and access, and phased to provide necessary infrastructure. Potential benefits from proposed improvements / increases in public transport provision and reducing dependence on commuting.
None identified
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs Central aim of draft strategy is the realisation of economic potential and provision for jobs. It is important that these are suitable and accessible to local people. Potential benefits from regeneration of the city centre.
Benefit from economic activity may ‘leak’ out of the sub-region, and this type of development may lead to limited employment potential for local people. Too much focus on the urban area may adversely affect the rural areas economies, particularly the market towns.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Potential benefits from proposed improvements / increases in public transport provision. If ‘step change’ in public transport use / provision is achieved, access, especially in rural areas, should be improved.
Population increase could put strain on existing services and amenities, as well as increasing congestion. Airport development will increase air travel.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets New Community and urban extensions are to be planned and developed to protect and maintain environmental assets and landscape setting, avoid areas susceptible to flooding and reflect the heritage.
Increased economic activity, development at Exeter International Airport, and house building on the scale proposed will all put significant pressure on the natural environment and existing environmental assets.
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Positive effects Negative effects The New Community to the east of Exeter has had considerable scrutiny in terms of flood risk and this will need to be reflect in the design of any development. Minimise consumption of natural resources None identified Construction of housing / infrastructure,
increased economic activity and population growth are likely to increase consumption, and waste generation.
Taunton and Bridgwater
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health Emphasis on encouraging walking and cycling, especially infrastructure linking employment and housing, should encourage healthier transport choices. Urban centred development and regeneration should also enable more people to walk and cycle, and reduce the negative health impacts of car travel. Locating new health and leisure services near areas of deprivation may partly address health deprivation issues (where access is good for all). High quality of housing will potentially improve health.
Maximising dwelling density may promote cramming and related issues – such as noise - if dwellings are not carefully planned / designed. Development of Northern Distributor road, and other road improvements may offset positive effects elsewhere – especially where they increase road travel.
Support communities that meet people’s needs Complementary development in Bridgwater and Taunton should lead to broader availability of services and facilities within the sub-regional area. Infrastructure improvements, especially for cycling and walking will improve community cohesion. Emphasis on rejuvenation, renaissance and reviving Taunton’s waterfront likely to improve the quality of the area as a place to live.
Road improvements and development of ‘the third way’ and northern distributor road may divide existing communities, and any increase in traffic may impact negatively on quality of life.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs The central aim of the strategy is the provision of jobs and the development of infrastructure and new housing to ‘ensure economic potential is realised’. Providing that jobs are suitable and accessible by public and other non-car transport - income and employment issues in deprived wards should be eased. The strategy identifies the need for increased skill levels and training programmes to meet economic opportunities.
None identified.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Urban centred development and regeneration should bring communities and services / amenities in closer proximity to each other – thus improving access. Ongoing investment in
The new Northern Inner Distributor road may simply encourage increased levels of commuting into the area and exacerbate, rather than relieve, existing congestion
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Positive effects Negative effects cycling and walking provisions will enhance access for all. Implementation of bus priority measures should make public transport easier and more attractive as a travel option.
problems.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets Where improvements to public transport and walking and cycling infrastructure encourage people out of their cars, environmental benefit are likely. The strategy requires planning and development (of urban extensions) to protect and maintain environmental assets and landscape setting. Urban focussed development likely to ease pressure on surrounding environment.
The urban extension to the north of Taunton will negatively impact on high-grade agricultural land, and landscape features as well as County Wildlife Sites. The JSA SSA also concludes that views from the Quantock and Blackdown Hills (AONB’s) may be impaired by the proposed urban extension to the north of Taunton. Potential cumulative effects on Somerset Levels and Moors SPA/Ramsar site due to development in Taunton, Yeovil etc which may affect the hydrology and/or water quality thus effecting wildlife species. This may require an appropriate assessment. Potential flood risk issues (which the Environment Agency has been involved in discussing). Taunton also drains to the Levels and Moors SPA the integrity of which requires periodic flooding. Increased construction in the sub-region could have environmental impacts both associated directly with construction, but also with related transport and disruption (dust, noise etc). Road construction and improvements likely to increase overall traffic levels, and related pollution (air, noise, vibration).
Minimise consumption of natural resources Although an urban extension is felt to be required in the plan period, the urban focus of development and re-use of previously developed should ease pressure on use of new land. If improved public transport and walking/cycling infrastructure encourages reduced car use, fuel and energy consumption can be reduced.
Construction of new housing and infrastructure could increase resource consumption. The focus on ‘economic potential’ suggests increased economic activity is primary focus and is likely to lead to increased consumption of resources, and production of waste.
South East Dorset
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health Where housing quality is improved, health benefits are likely. However the scale of new development may not deliver sub-regionally significant improvement in housing.
Increased housing densities could lead to cramming and health issues such as noise, unless carefully planned / designed.
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Positive effects Negative effects Concentrating development in urban areas and close to jobs should encourage walking and cycling, as will investment in walking and cycling infrastructure identified as a current deficiency. If public transport provision is increased and car use managed this is likely to have health benefits, in particular reducing air pollution and accidents related to car transport where this is reduced. Support communities that meet people’s needs Locating development in town and local centres is likely to support urban communities. Emphasis is on renaissance and regeneration. Proposed investment and improvements in public transport, walking and cycling provisions should have health benefits.
Potential negative implications for rural communities of the focus of growth in the main settlements, in terms of facilities, employment etc. Emphasis given to development at airport and on transport corridors may lead to transport related / reliant development in some areas. This may act to increase existing social exclusion, especially given region’s relatively high levels of car ownership.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs Central to the strategy is the creation of employment. It is important that these are suitable and accessible to local people. Emphasis on urban regeneration and renaissance, and on access by public transport, walking and cycling are likely to improve access to employment opportunities for all. A focus on existing regional strengths (e.g. maritime sector) is likely to support existing business and protect employment. Bournemouth Airport is singled out for aviation-related employment development. While the strategy directs major offices to the town centres, the airport could act as a sub-regional employment resource which will help to reduce longer distance commuting to Hampshire and beyond.
Development at Bournemouth Airport may lead to development reliant on long-distance travel.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Potential benefits of emphasis on the development in existing centres and on regeneration and Investment and improvement to public transport infrastructure, walking and cycling provisions. Improved access to countryside recreation.
Population increase could put strain on existing services and amenities, especially those used by the elderly and in urban areas. Development of the Airport will increase air travel.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets Strong emphasis on the need to manage ‘economic potential’ against the environmental assets of the sub-region. Protection / recognition of sub-regional and wider
Revision of green belt for urban extensions could result in loss of green field sites. The proposed new passenger terminal at Bournemouth Airport could encourage
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Positive effects Negative effects importance of the New Forest, heathlands and Jurassic Coastline. Transport improvements are likely to encourage people away from their cars.
increased volumes of traffic to and within the sub-region, and affect landscape character from flights.
Development at Port of Poole (deep channel access) may increase freight movements to the port, but this could also offset some travel by less sustainable modes. Increased and larger ship movements may impact negatively on the important coastal environment (although this is to be the subject of a more detailed study). Minimise consumption of natural resources Reducing the need to travel, and proximity of people to jobs and services should reduce energy consumption.
Construction of housing / infrastructure, increased economic activity and population growth are likely to increase consumption of natural resources and waste generation.
Plymouth, South East Cornwall and South West Devon
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health The strategy seeks to provide improvements to services and facilities to improve the city.
Population expansion could put increased pressure on existing health services, unless these are improved in line with the population growth. Level and density of development may cause noise and disturbance problems if dwellings are not carefully planned.
Support communities that meet people’s needs The strategy aims to provide a better balance between labour and housing markets. Benefits from infrastructure improvements, including services and facilities, a greater quantity of affordable housing, improvements to retail etc. Emphasis on reducing dependence on commuting, in particular by concentrating urban growth in the urban area and urban extensions along with proposed improvements / increases in public transport provision.
None identified.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs Benefits from the provision of additional jobs. Increased skills and training etc.
Economic growth may just encourage commuting from elsewhere unless sufficient homes (including affordable homes), infrastructure and services are provided and appropriately phased.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Benefits from the proposed improvements / increases in public transport provision and concentration of growth in the urban area to minimise commuting. If ‘step change’ in public transport use / provision is achieved, access should be improved.
Population increase could put strain on existing services and amenities, as well as increasing congestion. Road improvement and the expansion of the airport may increase traffic and could lead to further congestion and are likely to cause negative environmental effects.
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Positive effects Negative effects Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets Improved urban fabric and protection of open space. Growth focussing on less polluting industries and opportunities to reuse brownfield sites and clean up contaminated sites through redevelopment.
Proximity of eastern extension to the AONB and the potential for additional recreation pressure on surrounding valued landscapes and European designated nature conservation sites – Plymouth Sound and Estuaries cSAC and the Tamar Estuaries SPA.
Off site impacts relating to estuary processes are likely to be an issue including any urban run-off and potential discharges of waste water. Improvements to waste water treatment could be made, but the water company would have to confirm if this is practical. Potential flood risk from a combination of tidal and fluvial flood risks and local surface water problems in highly urbanised catchments. Exposed shorelines are also vulnerable to wave action. Therefore Plymouth’s waterfront renaissance must be closely tied to a sound understanding of risks and the street level design options that can be used to manage these risks. Level of growth proposed may put pressure on the development of existing urban open space (although provisions to protect them are to be provided via the LDF process). Minimise consumption of natural resources If improved public transport and walking/cycling infrastructure encourages reduced car use, fuel and energy consumption can be reduced.
Whilst development is focussed within the urban area, the urban extensions will cause a loss of some green field land. Construction of housing / infrastructure, increased economic activity and population growth are likely to increase consumption, and waste generation.
Torbay and South East Devon
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health An appropriate balance between housing and labour market could have beneficial health impacts. Where housing quality is improved, health benefits are likely. Concentrating development in urban areas and close to jobs should encourage walking and cycling. If ‘step change’ in public transport use is achieved this would have health benefits, in particular reducing air pollution and accidents related to car transport where this is reduced.
Population expansion could put increased pressure on existing health services, therefore timing of delivery critical.
Support communities that meet people’s needs The strategy aims to provide better balance between labour and housing markets and to improve affordability with high percentages of affordable housing (however, this will need to be partly delivered from small sites, and therefore a potential concern remains regarding delivery). Proposed improvements / increases in public
Potential disruption of existing communities due to level of proposed growth and housing development.
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Positive effects Negative effects transport provision with emphasis on reducing dependence on commuting. Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs Central aim of the strategy is the realisation of economic opportunities, reduce deprivation and inequalities. The strategy also identifies the need for increased skills and training to meet economic opportunities. The potential increase in the supply of affordable housing will reduce poverty and inequality. The proposed growth will help consolidate the functions of Torbay and Newton Abbot and therefore the services and facilities they provide.
If housing and jobs are not delivered together and linked, an economy reliant on connectivity may develop with little benefit for those already deprived and excluded, increased congestion etc.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Potential benefits from proposed improvements / increases in public transport provision. Focus on better balance between housing and employment. If ‘step change’ in public transport use / provision is achieved, access, especially in rural areas, should be improved.
Population increase could put strain on existing services and amenities, as well as increasing congestion (particularly if new services and infrastructure are not phased appropriately).
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets The strategy recognises the important environmental and heritage value of the sub-region. Urban extensions to be planned and developed to protect and maintain environmental assets and landscape setting, avoid areas susceptible to flooding and reflect the heritage.
None identified.
Increased economic activity and house building on the scale proposed could put significant pressure on the natural environment and existing environmental assets (including the landscape). The JSA SSA concludes this can be done within acceptable environmental limits, but this is considered to involve a degree of uncertainty / risk. Flood risk is a potential concern as Torbay has a history of flash floods and the Environment Agency highlight the need to ensure there are very high standards of runoff management associated with development in the headwaters to prevent increased risk downstream. Minimise consumption of natural resources None identified. Construction of housing / infrastructure,
increased economic activity and population growth are likely to increase consumption, and waste generation.
Cornish Towns and Isles of Scilly
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health If focussing development in Truro, CPR and The scale of growth at Truro could
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Positive effects Negative effects Falmouth-Penryn maintains the high quality of life in Truro and Falmouth-Penryn and facilitates regeneration in CPR then the quality of life in these towns will be improved. Providing housing for local need in the Isles of Scilly may have positive health benefits.
pressure on health services.
Support communities that meet people’s needs Open opportunities to provide affordable housing in Truro, CPR and Falmouth-Penryn and will reinforce their service roles. Provision of housing for local needs in Isles of Scilly will support these communities.
The scale of growth at Truro could lead to some social cohesion issues.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs CPR is a regeneration focus and could benefit from closer economic coupling with Truro and Falmouth-Penryn. Truro is already the economic engine for the County which could be maintained and bolstered in particular by linked growth in CPR. Truro and Falmouth-Penryn are foci for innovation, also benefiting from the Combined Universities in Falmouth-Penryn. Provision of housing in Isles of Scilly could help diversifying its economy.
None identified.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Transport is not covered in the sub-regional strategy. Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets Development in Truro, CPR and Falmouth-Penryn is guided towards the reuse of previously developed land and buildings.
The strategic development at Truro would lead to loss of greenfield land and could impact on landscape character.
Minimise consumption of natural resources None identified. None identified.
What improvements (e.g. mitigation, enhancement) could be made?
West of England
10.15. The draft RSS could be improved by:
• Carrying out further work to determine urban and infrastructure capacity to inform the phasing of the extensions and lead in times for development.
• Investigating whether the reduced rate of dwellings compared with earlier drafts of the RSS poses the risk that with high growth the gap between jobs and homes will widen and longer distance commuting will increase.
• Reconsidering the proposed airport expansion and connectivity to the motorway network as these are likely to conflict with environmental objectives (e.g. to reduce the need to travel, to minimise CO2 emissions, etc.).
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Swindon
10.16. The draft RSS could be improved by:
• Determining the extent to which the waste-water treatment constraints in Swindon present a potential constraint which could affect the phasing of housing development.
• Making the alleviation of existing social exclusion and deprivation a central aim of the sub-regional strategy.
• Considering further the extent to which any environmental impacts of an eastern extension will be minimised.
• Investigating in more detail the large number of specific infrastructure proposals, which appear worthy of more thorough examination to determine their effects on sustainability objectives and phasing of development.
Gloucester and Cheltenham
10.17. The draft RSS could be improved by:
• Giving the flood risks associated with development in Cheltenham and Gloucester further consideration, including the proposed urban extension north west of Cheltenham. This could be an important issue, which is not reflected in the sub-regional strategy.
• Although it is recognised that the focus of the sub-regional strategy is on the urban areas, the relationship between the urban and rural communities, in the context of development on the scale proposed, requires further consideration.
• Carrying out more detailed assessment of the specific infrastructure needs referred to in the sub-regional strategy which are not appraised in detail in the JSA SSA.
• Investigating whether there is a risk that the reduced rate of dwellings compared with earlier drafts of the RSS could lead to increased commuting.
Exeter
10.18. The draft RSS could be improved by:
• Dealing in a more proactive way flood risk and the need to adapt to a changing climate. Whilst it is stated in the draft RSS that areas susceptible to flooding should be avoided (in planning the New Community and urban extensions), flooding and climate change are a key issue for the sub region (and elsewhere) given the topography and proximity of Exeter to multiple river systems and the coast.
• Carrying out more detailed assessment of the specific infrastructure needs referred to in the sub-regional strategy which are not appraised in detail in the JSA SSA.
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• Reconsidering airport development.
Taunton and Bridgwater
10.19. The draft RSS could be improved by:
• Giving greater emphasis to public transport and non-car access as a more sustainable way of delivering regeneration, and more likely to promote development suitable to local needs. The draft RSS strategy identifies existing infrastructure deficiencies and needs, including ‘specific road improvements’ and the implementation of the ‘Third Way’ and Northern Inner Distributor Road to deliver town regeneration sites. From a sustainability perspective increasing road provision is likely to encourage people to travel by car, and may exacerbate, rather than alleviate existing congestion and pollution issues.
• Requiring a detailed assessment and mitigation measures to ensure that impacts to strategic views from the two AONBs is minimised.
• Investigating potential flood risk issues along with the implications of Taunton draining to the Levels and Moors SPA, the integrity of which requires periodic flooding.
South East Dorset
10.20. The draft RSS could be improved by:
• Carrying out further investigations to establish whether ground water abstraction is likely to emerge as a sub-regional issue considering the increasing population.
• Reconsidering airport development. Airport growth and the resulting environmental impacts associated with it are in conflict with certain other aims of the draft RSS sub-regional strategy (although it is acknowledged that it could provide for sub-regional employment growth and therefore avoid commuting out of the conurbation).
• Carefully examining the impacts of proposed Port of Poole expansion, in particular the coastal impact of development of a new deep-access channel, but also the impacts of increased traffic through the port and the impacts this may have on sub-regional infrastructure and environment (although it is acknowledged that this will be the subject of further study).
• Investigating whether the reduced rate of dwellings compared with earlier drafts of the RSS could pose the risk that the delivery of affordable housing may be frustrated. It is suggested by officers of the strategic authorities that supply from small sites is creating demand from outside the region for second homes and holiday flats, for example, whilst leaving local demand unsatisfied and that evidence is not there to support major urban extensions of conurbations into sensitive environments or to the substantial removal of areas from the green belt north of Bournemouth.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 128
• Exploring the suggestion that an assessment of the scope for further development in the urban area is undertaken to look for innovative ways of realising redevelopment potential and that further work be undertaken with the authorities on the implications for South East Dorset under the Habitat Regulations.
Plymouth, South East Cornwall and South West Devon
10.21. The draft RSS could be improved by:
• Monitor and review the delivery of jobs and housing and the impact on commuting, given the level of growth proposed. The timing of the delivery of infrastructure, services and facilities will also be critical to the sustainability of the strategy.
• Including specific reference to monitor and protect the surrounding designated landscapes (AONBs and the National Park) and the European Habitat Directive sites (Plymouth Sound and Estuaries cSAC and the Tamar Estuaries SPA) from recreation and disturbance and, in the case of the European designated nature conservation sites from pollution from waste water and urban run-off.
• Consider how flooding and climate change may affect the sub region (and elsewhere) given the topography and proximity to the coast. It is understood that since the JSA work, a flood risk survey has been undertaken as part of the evidence base of the LDF.
• Appraising in more detail the specific infrastructure proposals referred to in the sub-regional strategy which were not appraised in detail in the JSA SSA, and therefore require more detailed investigation of the sustainability implications. Road improvement and the expansion of the airport may increase traffic and could lead to further congestion and are likely to cause negative environmental effects.
Torbay and South East Devon
10.22. The draft RSS could be improved by:
• Given the history of flash flooding, deal in a more proactive way the need to adapt to a changing climate and reduce flood risk. Whilst it is stated in the draft RSS that areas susceptible to flooding should be avoided (in planning the urban extensions), flooding and climate change are a key issue for the sub region (and elsewhere).
• Carrying out more detailed assessment of the specific infrastructure needs referred to in the sub-regional strategy which are not appraised in detail in the JSA SSA.
Cornish Towns and Isles of Scilly
10.23. The draft RSS could be improved by:
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 129
• Emphasising in the policy wording that Truro, CPR and Falmouth-Penryn have unique roles and should develop complementary roles.
• Requiring a green infrastructure plan to be prepared for Truro, CPR and Falmouth-Penryn.
• Securing the necessary investment in public transport in and between Truro, CPR and Falmouth-Penryn by making this a regional transport priority.
• Investigating in more detail the impacts of the proposed urban extension on the landscape character, setting and historic integrity of Truro.
10.24. The sub-regional strategy does not contain policies relating to towns outside of Truro, CPR and Falmouth-Penryn, but the surrounding narrative states that “the distribution of development should reflect the role of the other main towns identified under Policy B given particular significance to Penzance, St Austell, Newquay and Bodmin” [para 4.4.23]. The draft RSS could be improved by:
• Specifying which towns will be identified under Development Policy B.
• Specifying how the ‘particular significance’ of Penzance, St Austell, Newquay and Bodmin is to be planned for.
HOUSING DISTRIBUTION
Introduction 10.25. This part of Section 4 of the draft RSS summarises the distribution of additional
dwellings throughout the region for the period 2006-2026. It includes phasing of dwelling provision split between 2006-2016 and 2016-2026.
What does the draft RSS section say? 10.26. Section 2 of the draft RSS identifies that 25,000 dwellings per annum as being
required to meet the scale of need arising from improved economic prosperity, to respond to undersupply in the current market and to address issues of affordable housing across the region (i.e. the ‘top-down’ assessment). However, Section 4 provides for between 22,895 and 23,060 dwellings per annum 2006-2026, informed by the work undertaken at the sub-regional level for each of the Joint Study Areas (i.e. the ‘bottom-up’ assessment). The final housing totals and distribution represent the agreed appropriate levels of housing to be provided, taking into account both identified need and the perceived ability of different locations to accommodate additional development.
10.27. Around 15,000 dwellings per annum (65%), totalling 300,000 over the period of the RSS, are to be at the SSCTs, where 80% of the new jobs within the SSCT travel to work areas (TTWAs) are anticipated to be created. The remainder of dwellings, being around 8,000 per annum (35%) and totalling 160,000, are to be distributed across the rest of the region.
10.28. The dwelling distribution under Policy HD1 is divided into two main components:
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 130
• Sub Regional distribution of housing 2006-2026 by Housing Market Area and by Unitary Authority and District (Table 4.1 in the draft RSS), with the Housing Market Areas shown in Map 4.3.
• Phasing of housing development and dwelling distribution by SSCT (Table 4.2 in the draft RSS).
10.29. Policy HD2 addresses issues of joint working on assessing housing needs in Housing Market Areas to ensure co-ordinated delivery.
What are the likely effects on the SSA headline objectives? 10.30. A separate SSA matrix has not been completed to assess Policies HD1 and HD2.
This is because of the detailed SSA work carried out for each of the Sub Regional Strategy Statements, and because it was considered more appropriate to analyse the issues arising in the main body of the SSA Report.
10.31. Determining the effects of the housing distribution figures is difficult based on simple numbers. The SSA therefore attempts to gain an understanding by looking at the following issues:
• The scale of change for different parts of the South West and for the region as a whole.
• The current relationship between jobs and homes, and travel to work patterns, and the extent to which future housing development proposed in the draft RSS is likely to lead to a closer alignment of homes and jobs (essential if reducing the need to travel by car is to be achieved).
• The location and sensitivity to development of environmental assets and resources within the region.
The scale of change
10.32. The scale of change relating to housing development for each District in the South West is presented in Table 10.1. This shows the current estimated stock of dwellings for each District, the proposed additional dwellings to be delivered between 2006 and 2026, and the percentage increase in the total number of dwellings using the 2006 estimated numbers of dwellings as a baseline. The results of this analysis have also been mapped and are shown in Figure 10.1.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 131
Table 10.1: Housing Market Areas, Unitary Authorities and Districts: Estimated percentage increases in total number of dwellings 2006-2026
District
Estimated Dwellings 20061
Proposed additional
dwellings 2006-20262
Percentage increase in total
number of dwellings 2006-
2026
West of England Housing Market Area
542,630 110,200 20.3%
Bath and North East Somerset 74,003 15,500 20.9%
Bristol 174,118 28,000 16.1%
North Somerset 86,596 26,000 30.0%
South Gloucestershire 107,103 23,000 21.5%
West Wiltshire* 55,360 10,500 19.0%
Mendip 45,565 7,200 15.8%
Gloucester Cheltenham Housing Market Area
255,460 48,600 19.0%
Cheltenham 50,547 8,500 16.8%
Gloucester 49,377 11,500 23.3%
Tewkesbury 35,734 10,500 29.4%
Cotswold 37,920 6,000 15.8%
Forest of Dean 34,386 5,400 15.7%
Stroud 47,496 6,700 14.1%
Swindon Housing Market Area
170,670 49,000 28.7%
Swindon 82,440 34,000 41.2%
North Wiltshire 55,210 10,000 18.1%
Kennet 33,020 5,000 15.1%
Salisbury District & Housing Market Area
51,120 9,200 18.0%
Bournemouth & Poole Housing Market Area
248,542 38,500-41,800 15.5%-16.8%
Bournemouth 76,759 13,600-15,600 17.7%-20.3%
Poole 61,432 9,000-10,000 14.7%-16.3%%
Christchurch 21,969 3,300-3,600 15.0%-16.4%
East Dorset in JSA3 5,200
Elsewhere in East Dorset3
38,227
200
14.1%
Purbeck 21,466 2,100 9.8%
North Dorset 28,689 5,100 17.8%
Weymouth & Dorchester Housing Market Area
75,937 13,800 18.2%
West Dorset 46,198 8,200 17.7%
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 132
District
Estimated Dwellings 20061
Proposed additional
dwellings 2006-20262
Percentage increase in total
number of dwellings 2006-
2026
Weymouth & Portland 29,739 5,600 18.8%
West Cornwall Housing Market Area
165,594 31,600 19.1%
Kerrier 44,347 8,200 18.5%
Carrick 43,105 10,000 23.2%
Penwith 32,025 4,800 15.0%
Restormel 46,117 8,600 18.6%
Isles of Scilly 1,285 100 7.8%
Polycentric Devon & Cornwall Housing Market Area4
113,503 20,500 18.1%
North Cornwall 42,055 7,600 18.1%
Torridge 28,897 4,800 16.6%
North Devon (excludes part in Exmoor NP)4
42,551 8,100 19.0%
Exeter Housing Market Area5 199,554 38,400 19.2%
Exeter5 50,305 10,500 20.1%
East Devon5 60,301 11,400 18.9%
Elsewhere in Exeter JSA (Exeter/East Devon/Teignbridge)5
N/A 1,500 N/A
Teignbridge5 56,225 10,600 18.6%
Mid Devon 32,723 6,400 19.6%
Plymouth Housing Market Area6
211,651 45,100 21.3%
Plymouth 109,403 24,500 22.4%
South Hams (excludes part in Dartmoor NP)6
41,116 11,000 26.8%
Caradon 38,275 5,800 15.2%
West Devon (excludes part in Dartmoor NP)6
22,857 3,800 16.6%
Dartmoor National Park7 N/A 1,000 N/A
Torbay Unitary Authority & Housing Market Area
62,851 10,000 15.9%
South Somerset District & Housing Market Area
68,866 13,600 19.7%
Taunton Housing Market Area
112,879 27,920 24.7%
Taunton Deane 47,883 17,300 36.1%
Sedgemoor 48,317 8,400 17.4%
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 133
District
Estimated Dwellings 20061
Proposed additional
dwellings 2006-20262
Percentage increase in total
number of dwellings 2006-
2026
West Somerset 16,679 2,200 13.2%
Exmoor National Park7 N/A 400 N/A
Total 2,280,707 457,900-461,200 20.1%-20.2% Notes: 1 Source: The SWRA 2 Source: Draft RSS Table 4.1 3 The SWRA were unable to provide the split of the total estimated dwellings for East Dorset between those within East Dorset JSA and elsewhere in East Dorset District. Therefore, the % increase in total dwellings between 2006 and 2026 has been given for the District as a whole. In practice, by far the majority of this increase will be within the East Dorset JSA 4 The total estimated dwellings as at 2006 and the percentage increase in total dwellings for Polycentric Devon & Cornwall Housing Market Area and North Devon includes dwellings within the that part of North Devon that includes Dartmoor National Park. The proposed additional dwellings 2006-2026 in Table 10.1 excludes those allocated to the North Devon part of the National Park. This is because the SWRA were unable to provide the split between total estimated dwellings in North Devon that lie within and outside the National Park. As a result the percentage increases 2006-2026 for North Devon and Polycentric Devon & Cornwall Housing Market Areas are likely to be slightly understated 5 1,500 dwellings are to be provided ‘Elsewhere in Exeter JSA’ although Table 4.1 of the draft RSS does not specific whether these will be in Exeter, East Devon or Teignbridge or spread between these Districts. As a result the percentage increases for these Districts may be slightly understated 6 The total estimated dwellings as at 2006 and the percentage increase in total dwellings for Plymouth Market Area, South Hams and West Devon includes dwellings within those parts of South Hams and West Devon that include Dartmoor National Park. The proposed additional dwellings 2006-2026 excludes those allocated to the South Hams and West Devon part of the National Park. This is because the SWRA were unable to provide the split between total estimated dwellings in South Hams and West Devon that lie within and outside the National Park. As a result the percentage increases 2006-2026 for South Hams, West Devon and Plymouth Housing Market Areas are likely to be slightly understated 7 Because the SWRA were unable to provide the total estimated dwellings as at 2006 for those parts of North Devon, South Hams and West Devon that fall within the National Parks, it has not been possible to calculate the percentage increase in total dwellings 2006-2026 for the National Parks. By far the majority of the dwellings to be delivered in these Districts will be outside of the National Park boundaries
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SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 135
10.33. Table 10.1 shows that, outside of the National Parks and the Isles of Scilly, the percentage increase in the total number of dwellings in each District ranges from 9.8% (Purbeck) to 41.2% (Swindon). Nearly a third of these Districts (including the higher dwellings figure for Bournemouth), would have a dwelling stock that would increase by over 20% between 2006 and 2026.
10.34. The higher the scale of growth the greater the likelihood that the character of a District will change. To gain a better picture of how character will change, each of the Districts has been classified into urban, accessible rural, and remote rural, using the Countryside Agency District and Unitary Authority Classification. The classification is based on an amalgamation of:
• The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) definitions, which are primarily based on population density.
• The Office for National Statistics, which grouped local and health authorities into six families (including rural) using 37 socio-economic variables from the 1991 Census.
• The Department of the Environment (DoE), which used a list of rural authorities for the 1995 Rural White Paper.
10.35. The classification of Districts is a crude measure, and uses data that is now quite old. However, it does provide an indication of the character of each District, which generally is likely to still hold true.
10.36. In addition, it should be noted that settlement boundaries, particularly for the larger urban areas, do not necessarily coincide with District boundaries. For example, the number of dwellings in South Gloucestershire is high partly because a significant proportion of the urban conurbation of Bristol already falls within South Gloucestershire District. In addition, there are a number of Districts where the percentage increase is high because they include urban extensions to towns that are in adjoining Districts. As a result, some of the percentage increases for the ‘rural’ Districts need to be treated with caution.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 136
Table 10.2: Ranking of Districts by percentage increase in dwellings 2006-2026 and by District classification (Note: Districts classified as rural that have an asterisk (*) include SSCTs and/or proposed significant urban extensions to SSCTs which SWRA sees as being fundamental to the achievement of the urban focus of the draft RSS)
District by Countryside Agency classification1
Estimated Dwellings 2006
Proposed additional
dwellings 2006-2026
Percentage increase in total
number of dwellings 2006-
2026
Urban
Swindon 82,440 34,000 41.2%
North Somerset 86,596 26,000 30.0%
Gloucester 49,377 11,500 23.3%
Plymouth 109,403 24,500 22.4%
South Gloucestershire 107,103 23,000 21.5%
Exeter2 50,305 c. 10,500 c. 20.1%
Bath and North East Somerset 74,003 15,500 20.9%
Bournemouth 76,759 13,600-15,600 17.7%-20.3%
Weymouth & Portland 29,739 5,600 18.8%
Cheltenham 50,547 8,500 16.8%
Bristol 174,118 28,000 16.1%
Torbay 62,851 10,000 15.9%
Christchurch 21,969 3,300-3,600 15.0%-16.4%
Poole 61,432 9,000-10,000 14.7%-16.3%
Sub-Total 1,036,642 223,000-226,300 21.5%-21.8%
Accessible Rural
Taunton Deane* 47,883 17,300 36.1%
Tewkesbury* 35,734 10,500 29.4%
West Wiltshire* 55,360 10,500 19.0%
North Wiltshire 55,210 10,000 18.1%
Salisbury* 51,120 9,200 18.0%
Sedgemoor* 48,317 8,400 17.4%
Cotswold 37,920 6,000 15.8%
Mendip 45,565 7,200 15.8%
Forest of Dean 34,386 5,400 15.7%
Kennet 33,020 5,000 15.1%
Stroud* 47,496 6,700 14.1%
Sub-Total 492,011 96,200 19.6%%
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 137
District by Countryside Agency classification1
Estimated Dwellings 2006
Proposed additional
dwellings 2006-2026
Percentage increase in total
number of dwellings 2006-
2026
Remote Rural
South Hams* 41,166 11,000 26.8%
Carrick* 43,105 10,000 23.2%
South Somerset 68,866 13,600 19.7%
Mid Devon 32,723 6,400 19.6%
North Devon 42,551 8,100 19.0%
East Devon2 60,301 c. 11,400 c. 18.9%
Restormel 46,117 8,600 18.6%
Teignbridge2 56,225 c. 10,600 c. 18.6%
Kerrier 44,347 8,200 18.5%
North Cornwall 42,055 7,600 18.1%
North Dorset 28,689 5,100 17.8%
West Dorset* 46,198 8,200 17.7%
Torridge 28,897 4,800 16.6%
West Devon 22,857 3,800 16.6%
Caradon* 38,275 5,800 15.2%
Penwith 32,025 4,800 15.0%
East Dorset* 38,227 5,400 14.1%
West Somerset 16,679 2,200 13.2%
Purbeck 21,466 2,400 11.2%
Scilly Isles 1,285 100 7.8%
Sub-Total 752,054 139,600 18.6% Notes: 1 Source: SWRA for dwellings data; Countryside Agency for District classification. 2 1,500 dwellings in Exeter Sub-Region are to be distributed between Exeter, East Devon and Teignbridge. For the purposes of this analysis, these additional dwellings have been excluded from the above calculations.
10.37. Table 10.2 shows that the percentage increase over the existing number of dwellings
is generally slightly higher for the urban classified Districts (average increase of 21.5% to 21.8%) compared to an average 19.6% increase for accessible rural Districts and 18.6% increase in remote rural Districts. This is line with the overall aim of the draft RSS of directing the majority of growth to the urban areas, However, what this also suggests is that, although the more urban areas will be receiving much larger numbers of dwellings in absolute terms, in relative terms the differences are not as great. Many of the more urban areas are only going to grow in percentage terms slightly faster than some of the more rural parts of the South West. Excluding the Isles of Scilly, all remote rural Districts will increase by at least 10% and 16 out of 19 of these Districts by at least 15%. This suggests that many of the rural areas will themselves
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 138
receive significant development and opportunities to strengthen their roles and functions, despite the overall focus of the draft RSS on directing most development to the SSCTs.
10.38. The overall averages mask some notable findings for individual Districts. Three Districts (North Somerset, Swindon, and Taunton Deane) will experience at least a 30% increase in the total number of dwellings over the period of the RSS, with Swindon experiencing over a 40% increase. This is a very high level of growth and will be a challenge to deliver. The percentage increase for South Hams is particularly high because of its proximity to Plymouth and the planned new settlement in the north of the District, and in Carrick there is a plan for a significant urban extension to Truro.
10.39. In order to further inform the analysis of scale of change, a calculation for each of the SSCTs in Table 4.2 of the draft RSS has been undertaken. This is helpful since it provides a more accurate picture of the scale of growth for each named settlement, irrespective of District boundaries. The analysis is shown in Table 10.3, and ranks the SSCTs according to their planned housing growth in relative terms.
Table 10.3: Strategically Significant Cities and Towns: Indicative percentage increases in total number of dwellings 2006-2026
SSCT Estimated Dwellings
20061
Proposed additional
dwellings 2006-20262
Percentage increase in
total number of dwellings 2006-
2026
Taunton3 27,019 14,000 51.8%
Truro 10,183 5,000 49.1%
Dorchester 8,178 4,000 48.9%
Swindon 71,629 35,000 48.9%
Bridgwater 16,465 6,200 37.7%
Exeter 49,734 18,500 37.2%
Yeovil 19,239 6,400 33.3%
Barnstaple 14,750 4,800 32.5%
Camborne/Pool (inc. Redruth) 18,488 6,000 32.5%
Weston-super-Mare 37,481 12,000 32.0%
Trowbridge 16,025 5,000 31.2%
Chippenham 14,475 4,500 31.1%
Plymouth 109,165 31,500 28.9%
Gloucester (inc. Innsworth/Churchdown)
60,919 17,500 28.7%
Salisbury 19,201 5,000 26.0%
Bristol 252,619 64,000 25.3%
Cheltenham 52,352 12,500 23.9%
Falmouth (inc. Penryn) 14,019 2,800 20.0%
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 139
SSCT Estimated Dwellings
20061
Proposed additional
dwellings 2006-20262
Percentage increase in
total number of dwellings 2006-
2026
Weymouth 26,332 5,000 19.0%
Bath 39,725 7,500 18.9%
Bournemouth4 81,027 13,600-15,600 16.8%-19.3%
Poole 63,586 9,700-10,700 15.3%-16.8%
Torbay (Torquay, Paignton, Brixham) 72,699 10,000 13.8%
Total 1,095,310 300,500-303,500
27.4%-27.7%
Notes: 1 Source: LUC analysis of data provided by the SWRA – 2006 dwelling stock is based on settlement boundaries (rather than District boundaries) using 2001 Census data adjusted to reflect estimated changes in stock to 2006 2 Source: Draft RSS Table 4.2 3 Excludes Wellington (1,800 dwellings 2006-2026) 4 Excludes proposed development at Christchurch (3,300 to 3,600 dwellings 2006-2026), and in the East Devon part of the Sub Region (5,200 dwellings 2006-2026)
10.40. Table 10.3 shows that many of the SSCTs will be growing to a much greater extent than is suggested in the District-based figures, which indicates how District boundaries can distort the true picture of where development is likely to take place. Over half the SSCTs are anticipated to grow by over 30% in terms of dwelling numbers over the 20 year period of the draft RSS. Taunton, Truro, Dorchester, and Swindon, for example, will grow in housing terms by approximately half as much again. This is likely to lead to a significant change in their character. Whether this will be positive or negative will depend upon the extent to which the development is geared towards strengthening local services, facilities and jobs. It will also be dependent upon how well key infrastructure will be able to cope (e.g. water supply and sewage treatment), and the quality of design of new development and how well it integrates in with the existing settlements and the surrounding landscape.
The relationship between homes and jobs
10.41. One of the key aims of the draft RSS is to deliver a closer alignment of homes and jobs. Table 10.4 shows how the jobs to home ratio will change assuming that the jobs and homes provided for in the draft RSS are delivered. Travel to Work Areas (TTWAs) are used for the jobs figures, which may cover a larger geographical area than the SSCTs.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 140
Table 10.4: Comparison in jobs (not FTEs) to homes ratios for SSCTs and their respective Travel to Work Areas (TTWAs)
SSCT 2006 2026
Jobs1 Homes Jobs to Homes Ratio
Jobs2 Homes Jobs to Homes Ratio
Barnstaple 30,200 14,750 2.05 N/A 19,550 N/A
Bath 98,700 39,725 2.48 114,700-118,700
47,225 2.43-2.51
Bournemouth 137,300 81,027 1.69 160,300 95,6276 1.68
Bridgwater & Taunton3
106,700 43,484 2.53 125,200 63,684 1.97
Bristol 509,200 252,619 2.02 601,200 316,619 1.90
Cheltenham 106,400 52,352 2.03 117,150 64,852 1.81
Chippenham 37,300 14,475 2.58 43,600 18,975 2.30
Dorchester & Weymouth
56,700 34,510 1.64 64,000-66,200
43,510 1.47-1.52
Exeter 155,800 49,734 3.13 184,300 68,234 2.70
Falmouth, Camborne-Pool-Redruth, Truro4
80,200 42,690 1.88 96,700 56,490 1.71
Gloucester 95,300 60,919 1.56 108,500 78,419 1.38
Plymouth 160,900 109,165 1.47 202,900 140,665 1.44
Poole 110,400 63,586 1.74 129,400 73,7866 1.75
Salisbury 62,200 19,201 3.24 73,200-75,700
24,201 3.02-3.13
Swindon 153,300 71,629 2.14 185,300 106,629 1.74
Torbay1 65,200 72,699 0.89 76,900 82,699 0.93
Trowbridge 61,500 16,025 3.84 73,200 21,026 3.48
Weston-super-Mare
43,200 37,481 1.15 51,700-53,200
49,481 1.04-1.08
Yeovil 57,400 19,239 2.98 66,500 25,639 2.59 Notes: 1 Source: Cambridge Econometrics data supplied by the SWRA 2 Source: Jobs growth as per Sub Regional Strategy Statements, added to 2006 base data 3 The additional jobs provision in Policy SR21 of the draft RSS is given as a global total for Bridgwater and Taunton, therefore the dwellings figures have also been combined in order to calculate an average jobs to home ratio 4 The additional jobs provision in Policy SR40 of the draft RSS is given as a global total for Camborne-Pool-Redruth, Truro, and Falmouth-Penryn, therefore the dwellings figures have also been combined in order to calculate an average jobs to home ratio 5 There are two TTWAs covering Torbay (Torquay TTWA, and Paignton & Totnes TTWA), which covers a much wider area than the SSCT which may in part explain why the job to homes ratio is so low for this SSCT 6 A mid-point in the range of additional housing 2006-2026 has been used to calculate total dwellings for Bournemouth and Poole as at 2026
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 141
10.42. Table 10.4 shows that, for virtually all the SSCTs, the jobs to homes ratio should decrease between 2006-2026. The only exceptions are Poole and Torbay. However, in Gloucester, Plymouth, Torbay and Weston-super-Mare, the jobs to homes ratio will be low, being less than 1.5. In Full Time Equivalents (FTE) terms, the ratio would be likely to be even lower, and in some cases lower still given that the TTWAs may cover a larger area than the SSCTs themselves (i.e. include more homes from neighbouring settlements but with jobs figures staying the same).
10.43. A further analysis of the relationship between jobs and homes provided for in the draft RSS is provided in Table 10.5. This shows the percentage growth in total homes and the percentage growth in jobs (TTWAs) provided for in the draft RSS for the SSCTs. Forecast increases in jobs for each of the TTWAs as calculated by Cambridge Econometrics for the SWRA are also shown, which are based on current trends and policy.
Table 10.5: Comparison of draft RSS growth in jobs provision with Cambridge Econometrics forecasts
Draft RSS Cambridge Econometrics Forecasts1
Increase in dwellings 2006-
2026
Increase in jobs 2006-2026
Increase in jobs at 2.8% growth
in GVA
Increase in jobs at 3.2% growth
in GVA
SSCT
Numbers % Numbers % Numbers % Numbers %
Barnstaple 4,800 32.5 N/A N/A 5,100 16.8 6,300 20.9
Bath 7,500 18.9 16,000-20,000
16.2-20.3
16,300 16.5 20,100 20.4
Bournemouth 13,600-15,600
16.8-19.3
23,000 16.8 18,100 13.2 23,000 16.8
Bridgwater & Taunton
20,200 46.5 18,500 17.3 11,400 10.7 14,300 13.4
Bristol 64,000 25.3 92,000 18.1 73,900 14.5 91,800 18.0
Cheltenham 12,500 23.9 10,750 10.1 8,000 7.6 10,800 10.2
Chippenham 4,500 31.1 6,300 16.9 4,700 12.6 6,200 16.6
Dorchester & Weymouth
9,000 26.1 7,300-9,500
12.9-16.8
7,300 12.9 9,500 16.8
Exeter 18,500 37.2 28,500 18.3 22,300 14.3 28,700 18.4
Falmouth, CPR, Truro
13,800 32.3 16,500 20.6 13,400 16.7 16,900 21.1
Gloucester 17,500 28.7 12,750 13.4 9,300 9.8 12,700 13.3
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 142
Draft RSS Cambridge Econometrics Forecasts1
Increase in dwellings 2006-
2026
Increase in jobs 2006-2026
Increase in jobs at 2.8% growth
in GVA
Increase in jobs at 3.2% growth
in GVA
SSCT
Numbers % Numbers % Numbers % Numbers %
Plymouth 31,500 28.9 42,000 26.1 15,300 9.5 20,600 12.8
Poole 9,700-10,700
15.3-16.8
19,000 17.2 14,700 13.3 18,900 17.1
Salisbury 5,000 26.0 11,000-13,500
17.7-21.7
10,800 17.4 13,600 21.9
Swindon 35,000 48.9 32,000 20.9 25,800 16.8 31,800 20.7
Torbay 10,000 13.8 11,700 17.9 9,100 14.0 11,700 17.9
Trowbridge 5,000 31.2 11,700 19.0 9,400 15.3 11,700 19.0
Weston-super-Mare
12,000 32.0 8,500-10,000
19.7-23.1
7,200 16.7 8,600 19.9
Yeovil 6,400 33.3 9,100 15.9 6,800 11.8 9,100 15.9
Notes: 1 Cambridge Econometrics data supplied by the SWRA
10.44. Table 10.5 shows that the increase in the number of homes for the SSCTs is generally higher, and in some instances much higher than the forecast increase in the number of jobs. Only in Poole and Torbay are jobs provided for in the draft RSS likely to increase by a greater amount than numbers of dwellings. The higher growth rates for homes should help to achieve a closer realignment between homes and jobs, and offer the opportunity to reduce commuting into the SSCTs.
10.45. Table 10.5 also shows that the increase in the total number of jobs for each of the TTWAs associated with the SSCTs is generally more in line with the high (3.2%) GVA increase for the region than the 2.8% mid-point GVA growth described in Section 2 of the draft RSS. For Bridgwater and Taunton, Bristol, Chippenham, Gloucester, Plymouth, Poole, Swindon, and Weston-super-Mare the jobs provided in the draft RSS are above those forecast by Cambridge Econometrics under the 3.2% GVA growth scenario. For Plymouth, the job growth provided for in the draft RSS is anticipated to be more than double that forecast under current trends and policy by Cambridge Econometrics under the high GVA growth scenario, reflecting the aim to achieve the vision to “transform” the City.
10.46. This raises an uncertainty about the extent to which the balance, and the strategy of realignment, between jobs and homes will be delivered. Since the draft RSS is providing for employment growth in line with the higher end of the economic growth forecasts, but growth in dwelling numbers in line with a lower GVA growth scenario,
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 143
there is a danger that the jobs will be delivered at a faster rate than the homes, putting further pressure on house prices and commuting.
10.47. In theory, the draft RSS could aim to provide for a lower number of jobs by planning for lower GVA growth and thereby not allocating so much land for employment uses. Whilst this might help to bring job provision back into line with housing provision, it could however, mean going against market forces. The draft RSS aims to influence the supply-demand equation by directing growth in both dwellings and jobs to certain locations. Whilst in many locations, this is line with market forces, in others it aims to influence the market to stimulate growth by providing for a greater number of jobs than is forecast to arise on existing market and policy conditions (e.g. Plymouth). Where, this is the case, there is likely to be some uncertainty whether the aspired creation of jobs beyond that shown by economic forecasts is achievable.
10.48. Overall, this suggests that, to be more certain of achieving the desired realignment, both the provision of jobs and the provision of dwellings should be based on the same forecast of GVA growth. Adjustments could be made within this overarching aligned level of growth for the region to take into account the likely effects of policy intervention (e.g. where growth needs to be stimulated to achieve regeneration objectives, or where a more restrained approach is needed because constraints to growth exist).
10.49. However, the jobs/homes balance is only part of the equation. In order to be sustainable, residents need to take up the opportunity of working in the same settlement in which they live, or move to live in the settlement in which they work. This would achieve a higher level of self-containment, increase the opportunity to walk, cycle and use public transport to get to work, and reduce the desire (as well as the need) to travel by car.
10.50. The existing travel to work pattern in the South West is complex. This is illustrated by Table 10.6, which shows the total trips originating in each of the SSCTs and the total trips ending in each of the SSCTs. Some of the SSCTs, such as Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Swindon and Truro, all exhibit net in-commuting. On the other hand, Bournemouth, Chippenham, Torbay, Weston-super-Mare and Weymouth, all exhibit net out-commuting. However, the data need to be treated with some caution since they are presented in net terms, which could mask significant inflows and outflows, even if the net difference is small.
10.51. Table 10.6 also shows that, in net terms, 87% of economically active people living outside the SSCTs, work outside the SSCTs. This is due to a combination of people in the SSCTs commuting to work outside the SSCTs, people living outside the SSCTs also working outside the SSCTs (but not necessarily within the settlement in which they live), off-set by some people living outside the SSCTs but commuting to the SSCTs to work.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 144
Table 10.6: Travel to Work Trips for SSCTs
Settlement
Total Trips Originating From
Settlement
Total Trips Ending In
Settlement Balance Barnstaple 12,650 16,080 3,430 Bath 42,504 53,003 10,499 Bournemouth 74,680 72,189 -2,491 Bristol Urban Area 267,470 317,148 49,678 Camborne / Pool / Redruth 15,820 18,061 2,241 Cheltenham / Charlton Kings 54,147 60,951 6,804 Chippenham 15,403 13,779 -1,624 Dorchester 6,627 10,598 3,971 Exeter 50,290 70,062 19,772 Falmouth / Penryn 11,714 11,848 134 Gloucester Urban Area 66,716 70,794 4,078 Plymouth 108,598 117,447 8,849 Poole 67,345 69,334 1,989 Salisbury 18,225 20,352 2,127 Swindon 80,844 91,708 10,864 Taunton 27,803 35,440 7,637 Torbay 53,627 53,033 -594 Trowbridge 15,794 16,820 1,026 Truro 9,177 21,019 11,842 Weston-Super-Mare Urban Area 35,917 29,956 -5,961 Weymouth 23,213 19,978 -3,235 Yeovil 18,170 22,167 3,997 Totals 1,076,734 1,211,767 135,033 Non-SSCT South West 1,243,560 1,079,358 -164,202 South West Region 2,320,294 2,291,125 -29,169
Source: LUC using 2001 Census data
10.52. The complexity of the relationship between homes and jobs shows that providing the opportunity to live close to work will often not be taken up by people. This suggests that this can only be achieved over time, and that:
• It is essential that the SSCTs become more attractive places in which to live.
• The quality of local services provided are such that people do not feel the need to travel outside of their community.
• The SSCTs that are net out-commuting settlements (i.e. Bournemouth, Chippenham, Torbay, Weston-super-Mare, Weymouth) do not have this characteristic reinforced.
• Driving by car is made much less attractive, particularly compared to other more sustainable modes.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 145
Sensitivity to development of environmental assets and resources
10.53. The effects on the environment of the housing distribution will vary by location based on a combination of the scale of development, the sensitivity of the environment, and the quality of the development delivered including any mitigation for adverse effects. The criteria-based policies in the draft RSS aim to avoid damage to sensitive environments, and reduce any adverse effects to a minimum through mitigation and compensation. They also aim to pursue opportunities for environmental enhancement where this can be facilitated as part of the development package.
10.54. The detailed analysis of environmental effects has been covered in the SSA of the Sub Regional Statements, which is where the draft RSS aims to deliver most of the development in the region. In addition, the analysis above shows that some of the most sensitive locations in terms of landscape, biodiversity, and historic heritage (e.g. Bath, Bournemouth, Poole and Torbay) have been planned to receive relatively less growth than some of the less constrained settlements. It is not so clear how other environmental factors, such as water supply and flood risk, have influenced the distribution, since some SSCTs that are planned to receive significant growth (e.g. Swindon and Taunton) have potential issues in relation to such factors.
10.55. It is helpful to gain an overall picture of the likely pressure on the natural environment by carrying out an analysis of the amount of landtake that will be required to deliver the development proposed in the draft RSS. This can be calculated in broad terms using the following assumptions:
• On average 23,000 dwellings per annum will be delivered over the 20 year period covered by the draft RSS, giving 460,000 dwellings in total.
• 50% of all new development will be delivered on previously developed land, including the conversion of existing buildings, in line with draft RSS Development Policy H (i.e. 230,000 dwellings).
• 50% of all new development will be delivered on greenfield land (i.e. another 230,000 dwellings).
• The average density of housing development will be 50 dwellings per hectare where this takes place on greenfield land.
• An amount of land of the same size as that needed for housing will be required to deliver supporting or associated development, such as infrastructure, community facilities, employment uses, and greenspace.
10.56. On the basis of the above assumptions, 4,600 hectares of greenfield land will be needed for housing development, and a further 4,600 hectares of greenfield land for associated development, giving a total of 9,200 hectares (i.e. 92 square kilometres) of greenfield development.
10.57. To put this into perspective, the larger urban areas in the South West as defined by Ordnance Survey (which includes more than the SSCTs) cover 971 square kilometres. All built up areas in the South West comprise 1,829 square kilometres (including smaller towns and villages, but excluding transport infrastructure outside of
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 146
built-up areas). The greenfield development will therefore represent an increase in the built-up land in the region of 5%. However, since the majority of the development will be directed to larger urban areas, the size of these settlements (in terms of developed land) will increase by between 5 and 9%.
10.58. In the South West, the amount of land that is either not built-up or covered by national designations (e.g. by virtue of their value for landscape, heritage or biodiversity), by flood risk (zone 3), or irreplaceable natural resources (grades 1 and 2 agricultural land) is 10,675 square kilometres (as shown in Figure 10.2). It could be argued that 92 square kilometres of greenfield development would therefore not have a significant impact, because it is less than 1% of such land. But this would be misleading. Not all of this land should be considered to be ‘unconstrained’ for the purposes of development. Much will have its own sensitivities, often at a local level (e.g. as part of the wider biodiversity resource, or from a landscape or historical perspective), and it is not just the built development that has an impact but also the effect this has on views and setting, and the ancillary activities (e.g. traffic, sport and leisure) that can combine to erode tranquillity and character. The presence of best and most versatile agricultural land, which may be a vital resource to future generations, may also be an issue in some locations.
10.59. It can also be seen from Figure 10.2 that large parts of the region where development is planned to be delivered (e.g. in the north and east of the region) already have significant constraints. In this respect, it is the sensitivity of the environment close to existing settlements, rather than the overall regional resource of land in the region, that is important, since this is where the development will be delivered. Of particular importance is perceptions. Since by far the majority of new development will take close to where people can see it, it can have a much higher impact in terms of everyday experience than is suggested by landtake figures alone.
10.60. A summary of the overall effects of the distribution of housing is provided below.
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health The levels of housing provision should enable greater opportunities for those in housing need to gain access to decent and affordable housing, which should be of benefit to health.
The numbers of housing to be provided are not as high as economic forecasts and housing needs research suggest are needed in the region. The scale of change and development in some locations could be stressful for some.
Support communities that meet people’s needs The levels of housing provision should enable greater opportunities for those in housing need to gain access to decent and affordable housing. A significant amount of housing will also be delivered outside of the SSCTs (in relative terms compared to existing size of settlements), which should provide opportunities to meet housing need in more rural settlements.
Although provision of housing is higher than in RPG10, it is still not enough to meet identified housing need based on the higher economic growth forecast and research into population growth and housing requirements.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs The majority of development will be directed towards the SSCTs, which is where the majority
Analysis of the relationship between jobs growth and dwelling provision suggests
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 147
Positive effects Negative effects of jobs are forecast to be created over the period of the draft RSS. The jobs provision is based on a high level of economic growth.
that housing provision may lag behind.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment The majority of housing is directed towards where jobs are most likely to be created (i.e. in the SSCTs) which should reduce the need to travel.
In some locations, net out-commuting settlements are planned to receive significant amounts of housing which, if not matched by local job creation (providing for jobs is no guarantee of their being delivered), could lead to further commuting.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets There are policies elsewhere in the draft RSS that aim to protect and enhance the environment of the South West. The overall landtake for development is likely to lead to around a 1% increase in overall built development in the region. Where environmental sensitivities are greatest (e.g. Bournemouth, Poole, Torbay and Weymouth), the levels of housing growth are lower than the average for the region as a whole.
The overall landtake of development, whilst not significant overall, is likely to lead to a change in character of some locations, particularly close to the SSCTs where the scale of change is significant, and because development will be concentrated in certain locations (e.g. through urban extensions and new communities). This could put pressure on biodiversity and the landscape, and increase the risk of flooding.
Minimise consumption of natural resources There are policies elsewhere in the draft RSS that aim to minimise the use of natural resources.
The scale of growth could lead to pressure on resources in certain locations, such as water resources at Swindon.
What improvements (e.g. mitigation, enhancement) could be made? 10.61. The main issues with respect to the housing distribution, which are not dealt with
elsewhere in the SSA, are the balance between the provision of jobs and homes, and the likely effects on travel patterns. Two recommendations result:
• Consider whether the balance between jobs provision and housing distribution for the region as a whole is sufficiently aligned on the basis of similar economic forecasts. In order to reduce the pressure on the environment, and the challenge of delivering development that is in accordance with sustainability principles (particularly given the pace of development proposed in the draft RSS) consider whether the jobs provision should be reduced.
• Ensure that the proposed distribution of development will not exacerbate patterns of commuting for those settlements that currently act as net exporters of labour supply. In addition, take into account not just the net commuting patterns, but also the absolute flows in and out of settlements, and consider what policy mechanisms can be introduced to reduce the total volume of flows so that people are encouraged to work close to where they live.
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SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 149
Conclusions 10.62. The analysis of housing distribution and its relationship to job provision has shown
that there may be a need to bring the two into closer alignment for the region as a whole (recognising that policy intervention may alter the equation in certain locations) if the overall aims of the draft RSS to meet housing need and reduce the need to travel are to be delivered. This could be achieved either by increasing the levels of housing provided for in the draft RSS, or by reducing the level of jobs to be provided closer to the 2.8% GVA growth forecast (being the mid-level growth scenario set out in Section 2 of the draft RSS).
10.63. Increasing dwelling provision may help in achieving housing need if high economic growth is to be planned for, but it would also place greater pressure on environmental assets and resources. The levels of housing provision currently in the draft RSS would also help to meet housing need, but only if the RSS plans for a lower level of economic growth closer to the mid-level forecasts (plus an acceptance that the draft RSS can influence the levels of economic growth). This in turn would take some of the pressure off environmental assets and resources.
10.64. In addition, further work may be required to better understand travel movements in the region, and the policy mechanisms required to encourage not only a reduced need to travel, but also a reduced desire to travel, so that local patterns of movement are encouraged rather than longer distances.
10.65. The scale of development across a wide number of settlements is likely to be significant, even if the overall landtake for the region as a whole is not. The pace of development will require strict adherence to policies in the draft RSS that aim to protect and enhance the environment, both in terms of location and design, which will be a challenge given the pace of development proposed in the draft RSS, and in particular the emphasis on greater development in the earlier years of the period covered by the RSS.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 151
11. SECTION 5 OF THE DRAFT RSS: REGIONAL APPROACH TO TRANSPORT
Introduction 11.1. Section 5 of the draft RSS sets out the general approach to transport policy in the
region, which is to assist in the achievement of the spatial strategy (particularly through closer integration between homes, jobs and services) and the success of the regional economy by increasing connectivity (reducing congestion and unreliable journey times). The core set of transport policies in Section 5 will lead to the priorities for investment on major strategic transport issues and help frame the content of Local Transport Plans and programmes at the local level. The specific transport policies for the SSCTs are presented in the sub-regional proposals in Section 4 of the draft RSS.
What does the draft RSS section say? 11.2. The introduction to Section 5 discusses the role that transport planning can play to
assist in achieving the three strategy emphases of the draft RSS: stimulating economic activity in the west of the peninsula; realising the potential of the SSCTs in the centre and north of the region; and allowing carefully managed growth to occur in the south east of the region. It states that “congestion and unreliable journey time can prejudice the success of the regional economy, whilst the growth in private transport and reduction in public transport can leave some sections of the population marginalised.”
11.3. Section 5 divides the transport policies into:
• Demand management at the SSCTs (Policy TR1).
• Inter-regional transport by road, rail, bus and coach (Policies TR2 to TR6).
• Intra-regional public transport (Policy TR11).
• Regional connectivity (Policy TR10).
• Freight transport (road and rail – Policies TR12 and TR13).
• Ports (Policies TR7 and TR8).
• Airports (Policy TR9).
11.4. There is also text but no policies about setting parking standards and setting regional priorities for investment in transport schemes.
11.5. A key theme is to improve connectivity with London and the South East, with the focus on improving the ‘reliability and resilience’ of the transport network, including the creation of a ‘second strategic route’ utilising the A303/A358. This proposal has
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 152
been subject to its own appraisal and decision making process, outside of the draft RSS development, and been approved by Government68.
What are the likely effects on the SSA headline objectives? 11.6. The appraisal matrices to accompany the following analysis of Section 7 policies can
be found in Appendix B5.
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health TR1 aims to reduce travel by car in the SSCTs through demand management and a step change in public transport provision, which in the longer term should help to reduce air pollution and reduce traffic accidents, so may help to improve health, and encourage more routine daily exercise if pedestrian and cycle access and public transport was made attractive. There may be some reduced severance at a local level associated with the second strategic route, plus some safety improvements. In the short-term it may also lead to some benefits from reduced stress and loss of time. Most of the positive effects are likely to be indirect, concentrated in the SSCTs, and longer term.
TR2-4 and TR10 aim to manage and improve the road network, which will continue to facilitate and encourage car use, and is likely to discourage walking and cycling. The creation or improvement of parkway stations (TR5) is likely to encourage more car journeys to stations. Increased aircraft movements can affect health for those on flight paths. The negative effects are likely to be direct in the medium to long term and region wide.
Policies TR5, TR6 and TR11 could help to promote daily exercise if accessibility to rail stations by cyclists and pedestrians is achieved. However, better cycle parking at stations will have limited effect if cyclists can only get to stations along car-dominated roads, or have to make inconvenient detours to use cycle routes, which are unattractive and poorly maintained. The same is true of pedestrian access to stations. Support communities that meet people’s needs Improvements to intra-regional public transport (TR11) should improve accessibility to learning, training and cultural activities for those who do not own a car or
The creation or improvement of parkway stations (TR5) is likely to draw office and retail development outside town centres (e.g. the office based development on the
68 The London to South West and South Wales Multi Modal Study (SWARMMS) study was started early in 2000, and reported to the SWRA in May 2002 (Prepared by Halcrow Group Limited for the Government Office for the South West). The primary purpose was to determine whether or not there were any alternatives to major road building on the major transport corridors where there appeared to be a rail alternative. The SWRA submitted comments on the study to the Secretary of State recommending both routing improvement options (A303/30 and A358) be implemented. The Department for Transport Ministers announced in December 2002 that they accepted the overall recommendations of SWARMMS, that the A303 be improved to form a second major road corridor into the South West, but they did not accept the SWRA’s recommendation and asked the Highways Agency to carry out further technical work on the A303/A358 route choice. The Highways Agency produced a report of that work in February 2004 concluding that while the A303/A30 route had greater transport economic benefits, the A358 route would have less environmental impacts and a better cost to benefit ratio. The A303/A358 route has now been confirmed and is included in the draft RSS.
SSA of the draft SW RSS Final Report March 2006 153
Positive effects Negative effects are unable to drive. The positive effects are likely to be direct in the medium to long term and region wide.
northern fringes of Bristol), reducing the opportunity to create more vibrant town centres and communities. The negative effects are likely to be direct in the medium to long term and felt most in town centres.
Improving the road network in the South West (TR2-4 and TR10) may increase accessibility to learning, training and cultural activities for some, but will reduce accessibility for those who do not own a car or are unable to drive. Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs Policies TR5, TR6 and TR11 should help to improve accessibility to work opportunities and reduce the cost of travel, helping to reduce poverty and income inequality (but only if the cost of public transport is made lower than car travel). Improvements to the second strategic route will, in the short term, lead to some time savings and reduced costs to business of congestion, plus improved resilience and reliability of the network. Policy TR7 encourages development of facilities and services at local ports to support more sustainable distribution, recreation, tourism, local fishing activities and local regeneration. This should help to harness the economic potential of the coast, and aid the use of local supply chains. Airport development is also likely to create jobs both directly and indirectly (TR9). The positive effects are likely to be indirect, experienced around the region, at ports for TR7 and TR8, and in the longer term.
Improving the road network and creating a second high quality route between the South West and London and the South East (TR2-4 and TR10), will result in increased car travel by encouraging more people to commute long distances within and out of the region. Those people without access to a car may become more disadvantaged and unable to afford a comfortable standard of living. Reducing the vulnerability of the economy to climate change relies on economic patterns that avoid long distance trade and travel. However, the Regional Freight Map (TR12) supports the long distance movement of freight by heavy goods vehicles along national and regional roads. Ports, and some parts of the rail network may be at risk from rising sea level or the impact of extreme climatic events (e.g. on the Dawlish coast). They may also contain sensitive landscapes, habitats and species. The negative effects are likely to be both direct and indirect, experienced around the region, at ports for TR7 and TR8, and in the longer term.
While improvements to the strategic road network may encourage some business into the South West, it could also draw business out by making long distance movement of people and goods even faster and easier and may reduce the ability to meet local needs locally. The evidence base for justifying the sustainability benefits is unclear. Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment The emphasis on demand management in Policies TR2, TR4 and TR10 should help to address the rate of traffic growth in the region. Policies TR5, TR6 and TR11 will probably assist in reducing the need/desire
Improving the M4 and M5 and creating a second strategic route (TR2-4) will have a significant negative effect on increasing the need/desire to travel by car, will continue to make public transport, cycling and walking
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Positive effects Negative effects to travel by car (and air for inter-regional journeys), if the public transport improvements are achieved. Policy TR7 encourages development of facilities and services at local ports to support more sustainable recreation, tourism and local regeneration, which should contribute (along with Policies TR5, TR6 and TR11) to making public transport more attractive. Use of parkway stations may encourage some longer-distance commuting by train rather than car. Policies TR5, TR7, TR8 and TR13 should significantly contribute to encouraging the switch from transporting freight by road to rail or water. The positive effects are likely to be indirect, experienced around the region, at ports for TR7 and TR8, and in the longer term.
less attractive modes and for freight to be transported by road. While car owners may have improved access to basic services, those without a car or unable to use a car may be further isolated from basic services. The creation or improvement of parkway stations (TR5) could increase some car travel as it is likely to encourage more car journeys to stations, and more long distance commuters from rural areas. This could undermine the aim of the draft RSS to encourage people to live closer to where they work. Policy TR12 will also increase road transport as it supports and encourages the long distance movement of freight by heavy goods vehicles along national and regional roads. The negative effects are likely to be both direct and indirect, experienced around the region in the longer term.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets The aim to address congestion in SSTCs through demand management and a step change in public transport provision (TR1) is likely to help improve townscapes and the public realm. It should also help to reduce damage to historic and natural assets from pollution associated with traffic. Demand management measures in Policies TR2, TR4 and TR10 should also help to address traffic growth on the strategic road network. Some benefits to the townscape of Henlade may arise from the bypass associated with the second strategic route.
The SWARMMS study (Highways Agency, February 2004) found that the A358 option would be less environmentally damaging to biodiversity and landscape than the A303/A30 option, with slight adverse effects on landscape and heritage and moderate adverse effects on biodiversity. However, the assessment of the impacts was very localised, and did not seem to take into account the cumulative impacts of improvements to this route resulting from increased traffic and induced development elsewhere. The overall aim behind improving inter-regional connectivity (TR2-5 and TR10) (i.e. facilitating long distance movement of people and goods between the South West and London and the South East and extending the influence of London’s economy) may reduce the diversity and local distinctiveness of the South West. Airport development (TR9) is likely to have a significant effect on noise and tranquillity.
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Positive effects Negative effects The negative effects are likely to be both direct and indirect, experienced along the second strategic route and around the region, and longer term.
Policies TR5, TR6, TR11 and TR13 could help to conserve land and reduce impact on habitats, landscape and townscape if improved use of public transport and rail and shipping for freight distribution resulted in less new roads being built. However, other policies in Section 5 (TR2-TR4 and TR12) provide for the increased use of, improvements to, and creation of roads. Minimise consumption of natural resources TR1 could, if it achieved a reduction in car traffic, reduce emissions in SSTCs.
Increased travel by car resulting from improved inter- and intra-regional road networks (TR2-4, TR10) will continue to increase CO2 emissions (the SWARMMS study concluded that the A358/M5 route would lead to an additional 4,400 tonnes of CO2 emissions) .Noise, light, water and air pollution from increased traffic on motorways would not be reduced. Airport development (TR9) will increase greenhouse gas emissions. Distribution of china clay and stone constitutes a major part of rail freight flows currently, thus Policy TR11 will contribute to the continued extraction of some minerals. The negative effects are likely to be both direct and indirect, experienced around the region in the longer term.
Policies TR5, TR6, TR11 and TR13 could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, use of aggregate for roads waste, noise, light and air pollution, if improved public transport and more use of rail and shipping for freight distribution resulted in less new roads being built. Overall noise, light and air pollution may be less from railways than motorways, but there will still be some localised noise and vibration impacts along the rail network. However, Policy TR12 supports freight distribution by heavy good vehicles along roads and TR5 is likely to encourage more car journeys to stations. Road building and maintenance are likely to require aggregate extraction, unless recycled and secondary aggregates are used (which could contribute to the reuse of aggregates from construction and demolition waste).
What improvements (e.g. mitigation, enhancement) could be made? 11.7. The draft RSS includes greater reference than earlier versions to reducing the need
to travel, the importance of behavioural change and investment in a package of solutions to firstly slow and then reduce emissions. It also now acknowledges that traffic needs to be reduced over time if national and regional climate change targets
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are to be achieved. Despite this, there are several aspects of Section 5 of the draft RSS that will continue to work against the achievement of these aims.
Policy TR1: Demand Management in the SSCTs
11.8. The overall thrust of Policy TR1 and its supporting text has a number of excellent sustainability benefits resulting from the aim to reduce the need to travel by car (improved accessibility, reduced emissions, reduced pollution, more efficient use of resources). However, it is not certain that the ‘progressive introduction of demand management measures’ (listed in para. 5.2.4 of the supporting text) will actually achieve a reduction in travel by car. Many of the measures are ‘carrots’ rather than ‘sticks’, thus they will be dependent on public attitude and behaviour.
11.9. Policy TR1 could be strengthened by:
• Including a clear objective in Policy TR1 to ‘reduce traffic’, and not just to ‘reduce congestion’, or ‘the rate of increase in emissions’.
• Being more assertive about road user charging (not only congestion charging) and parking space reduction (not just ‘parking strategies’).
Policies TR2-TR4 and TR10: The M4 and M5; Second Strategic Route; Remainder of the Trunk Road Network and Regional Connectivity
11.10. Improving the road network and creating a second high quality route between the South West and London and the South East, will result in increased need/desire to travel by car by encouraging more people to commute long distances within and out of the region. As a result, CO2 emissions will increase. Road improvements will continue to make public transport, cycling and walking less attractive modes and for freight to be more easily transported by road.
11.11. The ‘second strategic route’ raises a number of significant sustainability issues, as do improvements in ‘connectivity’ in general, if the RSS is to reduce the need/desire to travel by car and in particular achieve its greenhouse gas emissions targets. Whilst it is recognised that a decision has been made on this route, as it is part of the draft RSS the SSA is required to comment on the likely effects arising. The promotion of the ‘second strategic route’ is on the premise that the relative ‘peripherality’ of the South West is a problem to be tackled, rather than an asset to be maintained. It also runs the risk of exposing the more peripheral parts of the region to businesses in other parts of the country that are already highly competitive, and reducing the diversity and local distinctiveness of the South West. The discussion in Chapter 8 of the SSA found that research on the economic benefits of improving connectivity is inconclusive.
11.12. Sensitivity analysis during the SWARMMS research tested the effects of omitting specific elements of the ‘emerging strategy’. The emerging strategy at that time included improvements to the A303/A30 rather than A303/A358. The analysis showed that the only sensitivity test that would have led to a reduction in vehicle/passenger kilometres by 2016 on both the M4/M5 and the A303/A30/A358, compared to the emerging strategy (i.e. all other elements of the SWARMMS package implemented) would have been the omission of the A303/A30 improvement scheme.
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However, for this to have been achieved would have required in particular the introduction of reducing the need to travel measures, improvements to the quality of public transport services, and to the Great Western mainline services. The emerging strategy at that time (i.e. including the A303/A30 improvement) would have led to an even greater reduction in traffic on the M4/M5 but on the other hand would have resulted in an increase in traffic on the A303/A30/A358 (since these improvements were part of the emerging strategy). These reductions would also have been dependent upon reducing the need to travel measures, and improvements to public transport and Great Western mainline services. The sensitivity testing reported percentage changes rather than absolute changes in volumes of traffic so it is not possible to determine which would have had the greatest effect on overall traffic volumes69.
11.13. Policy TR5 and others in the draft RSS do encourage public transport, walking and cycling, which provides some mitigation to these policies. However, Policies TR2-TR4 and TR10 are likely to ensure that car travel continues to dominate. The proposals could therefore be improved by:
• More emphasis and investment being put on improving the rail network and making public transport more integrated and attractive than travel by car.
• The creation of the second ‘strategic’ route not being included in the RSS until there is an improved Waterloo-Exeter-Plymouth fully dualled and electric rail line in place, should the case for improved connectivity with London be proven in sustainability (including economic) terms.
• Strengthening the ‘corridor management’ element of Policy TR8 in order to achieve a reduction in total vehicle traffic and greenhouse emissions from travel (without causing increases elsewhere).
Policies TR5, TR6 and TR11: Inter-regional Rail Network and Intra-regional Public Transport
11.14. Policies TR5, TR6 and TR11 should help to reduce the need/desire to travel by car, if the public transport improvements are achieved. However, a more integrated approach is needed that prioritises more sustainable modes over the car. For example, better cycle parking at stations will have limited effect if cyclists can only get to stations along car-dominated roads, or have to make inconvenient detours to use cycle routes, which are unattractive and poorly maintained. The same is true of pedestrian access to stations. In addition, the creation or improvement of parkway stations (TR5) will discourage cyclists and pedestrians due to their distance from town centres, and is likely to encourage more car journeys to stations, and more long distance commuters from rural areas.
11.15. If improved use of public transport resulted in less new roads being built Policies TR5, TR6 and TR11 could help to conserve land and reduce impact on habitats, landscape and townscape. However, other policies in Section 5 (TR2-TR4 and TR10) provide for improvements to and creation of roads.
69 SWARMMS Emerging Strategy Sensitive Tests. Technical Note. Halcrow, 16 October 2001
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11.16. TR5, TR6 and TR11 could be improved by:
• Prioritising walking, cycling and bus access over the car to stations (e.g. introducing safe and attractive pedestrian and cycle routes).
• Avoiding the creation or improvement of parkway stations, where these encourage longer distance commuting or commuting to urban areas from rural areas (in order to encourage shorter commuting distances and reduced need/desire to travel in line with the overall aim of the draft RSS) and focussing instead on improvements to city and town centre stations.
Policies TR7, TR8, TR12 and TR13: Ports; Regional Freight Map and Rail Freight Interchange Facilities
11.17. Policies TR7, TR8 and TR13 should significantly encourage the switch from transporting freight by road to rail or water. However, Policy TR12 supports and encourages the long distance movement of freight by heavy goods vehicles along national and regional roads. Whilst it is important that county and local roads are not used for freight long distance movement of freight, improvements to these strategic routes should not undermine the aim of the draft RSS to achieve a switch more sustainable modes, and local supply chains.
11.18. TR6, TR7 and TR13 should contribute to supporting more sustainable distribution, recreation, tourism, local fishing activities and local regeneration, at ports. However, as with some parts of the rail network, these facilities may be at risk from rising sea level or the impact of extreme climatic events. Reducing the vulnerability of the economy to climate change relies on economic patterns that avoid long distance trade and travel. Sensitive landscapes, habitats and biodiversity associated with coastal locations could be affected by port development. Recommendations for improvements to the policies include:
• Policy TR7 has been improved over earlier versions and now includes specific reference to improved passenger facilities. This could be made even stronger by ensuring that port, ferry and rail operators work together to integrate and link rail and sea travel, and make it easier and attractive for cyclists to journey long distances by rail and ferry as well.
• Policies TR7 and TR8 should take into account the vulnerability of coastal landscapes, habitats and biodiversity to port activity and development, taking into account the impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise and coastal erosion.
• Policy TR12 should include reference to encouraging ‘local supply chains to minimise the need for long distance freight movement’ currently in para. 5.6.4 of the supporting text. In addition, Policy TR13 could include the phrase “developments which generate high volumes of freight movements should be located close to appropriate rail or water freight facilities to support more sustainable distribution in the South West” currently in para. 5.6.4 of the supporting text.
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• TR13 should seek to work harder at improving the scope and viability of rail freight (as discussed in paras. 5.6.5-5.6.7 of the supporting text) and more emphasis should be placed on improving the use of rail and shipping to transport freight than road.
Policy TR9: Airports
11.19. Policy TR9 seeks to meet an increasing proportion of regional demand for air travel to reduce ‘leakage’ to other regions and London airports, with the implied advantage of reducing the environmental damage of people travelling to airports in the South East of England. This is misleading for two reasons. First, the climate change impacts of surface transport per passenger kilometre are lower than air travel, so for climate change it is better for people to do as much as possible of their journey by surface before flying. Second, Government policy is not to displace flights from the South East to other regions, but to increase capacity both inside and outside the South East. Therefore increases in the South West will not displace flights from the South East, but will create space for further overall expansion.
11.20. Airport development may generate jobs during both construction and operation, and may help to support sub regional economies, but the effects of air travel on the climate is so significant, that this approach to economic development should be considered to be unsustainable.
• The RSS should explicitly resist airport expansion, because it would undermine all the efforts within other sections of the draft RSS to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Other forms of economic activity, that are not dependent upon or that encourage air travel, whether for business or leisure, should be pursued.
Conclusions 11.21. The approach to transport in the draft RSS is to support the overall aim of achieving
closer integration and between where people live, work and use services. In doing so it aims to achieve a reduced need to travel, a switch to more sustainable modes, and focuses on improving the resilience and reliability of the strategic transport network. As a result, Section 5 contains a number of aims and measures that strongly support sustainable transport and access, and improvements have been made since earlier versions of the draft RSS. However, many of these are contained in the supporting text, but not made explicit in the policies. In addition a number of the measures for demand management are not tough enough (e.g. the reference to ‘parking strategies’ in para. 5.2.4).
11.22. The RSS needs to be more assertive and explicit about stricter demand management measures such as road user charging and parking space reduction. There is no policy for parking included in Section 5, only a discussion about it not being practical or desirable to apply a uniform set of parking standards in the South West region. Reduced standards should be applied wherever practicable, and local planning authorities should avoid seeking competitive advantage from laxer parking standards than circumstances would allow and neighbouring authorities are achieving.
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11.23. The reliance on improving connectivity to achieve the objectives of the draft RSS needs to be proven (e.g. in economic terms). To be more sustainable, improving connectivity should focus attention on significantly improving rail links rather than the road network, as currently the policies in Section 5 will result in increased car use and greenhouse gas emissions. Improved rail links will bring their own landscape and biodiversity implications, but overall are likely to prove less environmentally damaging than road improvements, in particular because they should reduce the need and desire to travel by car, and therefore reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
11.24. The references to ‘step change’ in the use of public transport are welcome (para. 5.1.6). However, a step change will not be achieved by incremental improvements to current better practice. ‘Step change’ should mean a very different state of behaviour to that currently experienced. For example, it could mean complete neighbourhoods where driving is something people only do exceptionally (e.g. when infirm relatives visit or heavy furniture needs to be moved). This is not the same as making the bus services a little bit better so people use them a bit more often. A step change in the use of public transport would be achieved by integrated transport planning of whole neighbourhoods or corridors including fully frequent and reliable public transport, plus re-concentration of amenities in centres that are easy to walk to and restrictions on car use. These measures would each make the others effective and viable.
11.25. Paragraph 5.1.3 refers to initial findings from the SSA and correctly reports that the SSA questioned the extent to which the regional approach to transport could lead to a reduction in traffic in the absence of greater national and regional intervention such as road user charging and increased fuel prices. However, earlier SSA commentaries did not argue, as the paragraph states, that the region needs road improvements supported by economic intervention to stimulate business and employment in the far west of the region. Earlier SSA concerns, which still remain, are that the road capacity should not be increased until other measures are actually in place and working, to ensure that road capacity increases do not induce more traffic and car dependence, resulting in increased greenhouse gas emissions.
11.26. In addition, paragraph 5.1.2 still refers to “reducing rate of increase of emissions, as outlined in Section 1” (despite the new acknowledgement in para. 5.3.3 that traffic needs to be reduced over time). Policy SD2 state the regional approach, which is the need to reduce emissions, and not the rate of increase.
11.27. The ability of the South West to achieve a ‘step change’ towards more sustainable travel behaviour in the future is highly dependent upon the support of central Government. Car travel is significantly cheaper than rail travel, and air travel is often cheaper than rail too – this situation could be reversed by fiscal policy. Investment in road improvements is often easier to secure than for rail. Support for bus services is also limited. Road user charging (as opposed to congestion charging) is also down to Government, as it is the inter-urban trips by car that are often as significant as commuting from rural areas into urban. Also, traffic movements do not recognise administrative or regional boundaries and so to address them requires a co-ordinated approach that central Government is best placed to take.
11.28. Some of the recommendations for the RSS cannot be implemented without a change in Government policy. Key issues for Government to address include:
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• Restore traffic reduction targets, and require that all other public plans and programmes are consistent with these.
• Allocate transport funding to follow the hierarchy of (i) reduce the need to travel (ii) non-motorised modes, such as walking and cycling (iii) public transport (iv) road improvements, with the aim of no net increases in road capacity so that any specific needs for expansion are offset by reductions elsewhere.
• Ensure that the real cost of using non-car modes is cheaper than use of the car (e.g. to travel long distances in the UK it is often cheapest to travel by coach or by plane, then car, then train – with the exception of coach travel, this order needs to reversed).
• Introduce road user charging (e.g. to discourage inter-urban and long distance commuting).
• Allow for regional bodies and local authorities to introduce area-wide car parking and charging strategies that encourage people to use the most sustainable locations (e.g. town centres over out-of-centre retail).
• Introduce a radical change in investment in rail infrastructure to encourage long-distance freight to move by rail rather than by road.
• Withdraw the airport development proposals included in the Aviation White Paper since all other gains in CO2 emissions will be cancelled out by growth in air traffic alone, and introduce fuel taxes that reflect the environmental cost of air travel.
• Ensure that every provider of public services meets high quality standards so that users wishing to exercise choice would naturally choose the most local service, rather than travelling further afield.
11.29. If Government policy is strengthened to support more sustainable patterns of access and travel, then the ‘step-change’ called for in the draft RSS has a greater chance of succeeding.
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12. SECTION 6 OF THE DRAFT RSS: HARNESSING POPULATION GROWTH, MANAGING CHANGE AND ENSURING PEOPLE CAN PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY
INTRODUCTION 12.1. Section 6 of the RSS addresses the need to supply plentiful and affordable
housing and good quality public services and community infrastructure in response to the population growth forecast for the region and to try and achieve sustainable communities.
What does the draft RSS section say? 12.2. Section 6 sets out targets for how much of the new housing provision in the
region should be affordable and the housing densities for new developments. Policy H1 aims to provide at least 30% of all housing developed in the region as affordable housing, rising to 60% or higher in areas of greatest need. Policy H2 encourages higher density developments of at least 50 dwellings per hectare (dph) in the SSCTs, mixed use urban extensions and adjacent new communities, exceeding 30 dph in all parts of the region and averaging in excess of 40 dph across housing market areas.
12.3. Under the provisions of the Housing Act 2004, and Circular 01/2006, consideration is required for the needs of gypsies and travellers in Local Housing Need Assessments. These needs are to be reflected in housing and core strategies. Policy GT1 outlines the requirement for need assessments and provision in Development Plan Documents.
12.4. Section 6 also encourages the development of sustainable communities by providing policies concerning the provision of good quality public services and community infrastructure. This is a key element in the aim to ensure all people can participate in society. Policy SI3 sets out the need for high standards of accessible service provision in new developments. In addition, Section 6 addresses provision and delivery of good quality health (HE1-3), education/learning (SK1), local culture and leisure facilities (LDF1), and green infrastructure (GI1). Provision of these facilities is addressed in terms of need, accessibility, and the integration of new communities in growth areas.
What are the likely effects on the SSA headline objectives? 12.5. The appraisal matrices to accompany the following analysis of Section 7
policies can be found in Appendix B6.
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health Policies H1 and H2 should have direct positive benefits for improving health by enabling more
None specifically identified.
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Positive effects Negative effects people in the region to afford their own home. The national sustainability impact study of additional housing scenarios70 found that provision of affordable housing should lead to reductions in ill health and incidence of mental illness arising from poor housing conditions, e.g. overcrowding within households, lack of heating, dampness etc. However, this will be dependent on the quality of affordable housing delivered. If the affordable housing is delivered as part of a sustainable mixed use development, offering a range of housing types, local services and employment, then it may help to make walking and cycling more attractive, encouraging healthy lifestyles. The policies concerning public services and community infrastructure should result in a significant positive impact on health. The provision of quality and accessible services should have (mainly long term) indirect benefits for health by addressing the ‘wider determinants of health’. This may be achieved through improving quality of life by enhancing surroundings (GI1) and general well-being e.g. through enhanced participation in the community (SI3, LCF1). Factors such as improving skills (SK1) should also have indirect positive impacts on health. The policies also indirectly encourage exercise such as walking and informal outdoor recreation (e.g. GI and LCF1). Policy GT1 should indirectly improve health for gypsies and travellers through the provision of suitable housing/dwelling space. Health care Policies HE1-3 should have direct, long-term and positive impacts on health, as they seek to provide additional health care facilities to meet need arising from new large scale developments. In addition, Policy HE2 aims to provide health care facilities that are accessible by public transport, cycle and foot, which in turn encourages exercise in daily life. Support communities that meet people’s needs Policies H1 and H2 will go some way towards helping make suitable and affordable housing available. However, 7,500 affordable houses per annum will not be able to provide for all of the homeless households in the South West (see discussion in Mitigation section below). If the affordable housing requirement in Policy H1 is delivered as part of a sustainable mixed use development, offering a range of housing types, local services and employment, then it may have
None specifically identified.
70 A Sustainability Impact Study of Additional Housing Scenarios in England. ODPM, December 2005.
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Positive effects Negative effects indirect positive effects by helping to promote more vibrant communities. Reduced concentration of poverty, and new development that designs crime out, may help to reduce the incidence of crime. The national sustainability impact study found that socially mixed communities may provide more positive role models and promote educational achievement, enabling people to compete in the labour market, improve earning, and reduce dependency on benefits. Educational opportunities may also be improved due to improved housing conditions. Policy GT1 should directly improve the provision of suitable housing/dwelling space for gypsies and travellers. The most significant positive impact of the policies concerning public services and community infrastructure (Policies SI3, HE1-3, SK1, LCF1 and G11) on this objective would be in terms of the promotion of stronger and more vibrant communities. The emphasis on access and integration in these policies should directly lead to an increase in community ‘participation’ in line with the just connect! aims. The promotion of community facilities such as cultural, leisure and learning facilities (Policies SK1, LCF1 and G11) should also contribute to the vibrancy of communities, and directly contribute to the objective of increasing access to and participation in cultural activities. Policies in Section 6 would also give people access to learning. This may be directly through providing learning/skills facilities (SK1), or indirectly through encouraging a more stimulating environment (e.g. GI1 and LCF1). Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs Policy H1 should help to improve opportunities to afford a comfortable standard of living and reduce poverty by seeking to provide at least 7,500 affordable homes per annum. In addition, if the affordable homes are delivered as part of sustainable mixed use developments that offer employment and local service as well, the policy should also help indirectly to provide work opportunities and meet local needs locally. Policies concerning the provision of public services and community infrastructure (SI3, HE1-3, SK1, LCF1 and G11) would have the greatest impact on
None specifically identified.
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Positive effects Negative effects this objective through the encouragement of local facilities which are of high quality and respond to identified need. Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment If the affordable housing targets and densities (Policies H1 and H2) are delivered as part of a sustainable mixed use development, offering a range of housing types, local services and employment, and public transport provision, then they should have a direct positive effect on this objective by improving access to basic services, making walking and cycling more attractive, and reducing the need/desire to travel by car. Policies SI3, HE1-3, SK1, LCF1 and G11 directly aim to ensure basic services are safely and easily accessible. The emphasis on accessibility in these policies directly contributes to fulfilling this objective. A reduction in the need/desire to travel by car is encouraged by ensuring public transport links to facilities are provided (HE2, SK1) and encouraging community facilities to be provided alongside mainstream facilities (SK1) which may reduce the number of trips necessary. Cycling and walking should be made easier and more attractive through the development and management of Green Infrastructure (GI1).
None specifically identified.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets Effects of Policies H1 and H2 on environmental quality and assets are difficult to judge, given the overall scale of development required in order to provide 7,500 affordable homes per annum (they will most likely be provided as part of larger housing development proposals), and that effects on environmental quality and assets are best determined on a site-by-site basis. Despite the high density targets in Policy H2, as discussed in the appraisal of Section 4 of the RSS, there will be a need for significant greenfield land to provide the required housing numbers, particularly in the vicinity of the SSCTs. Policies SI3, HE1-3, SK1, LCF1 and G11 should have a significant impact on this objective primarily in terms of improving environmental quality. Policies aim to ensure facilities are considered at the master planning stage of new development which should result in the most appropriate locations being selected. Policy GI1 should directly result in enhancements to townscape, as well as the protection and enhancement of habitats and species. Policies such as GI1 and LCF1 would also contribute to the maintenance of local distinctiveness and character as well as directly maintaining and enhancing cultural assets.
None specifically identified.
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Positive effects Negative effects Policy GT1 may indirectly protect habitats and species as gypsies and travellers may be less likely to pitch on undesignated areas, where sensitive species or habitats may exist. Policy GT1 recognises diversity through provision for gypsies and travellers. Minimise consumption of natural resources As above, it is difficult to judge the effects of Policies H1 and H2 on consumption of natural resources as this depends on the type of affordable housing proposed and individual site characteristics. However, a number of policies in the RSS should ensure that natural resources use is minimised in the delivery of affordable housing. The focus in Policies SI3, HE1-3, SK1, LCF1 and G11 on accessible facilities and the encouragement of the use of public transport, as well as walking and cycling, should result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through a reduction in car based trips.
None specifically identified.
What improvements (e.g. mitigation, enhancement) could be made?
Policies H1 and H2: Affordable Housing and Housing Densities
12.6. Policies H1 and H2 will go some way towards helping to make suitable and affordable housing available in the South West. However, the total dwellings per annum for the region has been reduced from 25,000 in earlier versions of the RSS, to 23,060, thus it may be more difficult to achieve provision of 7,500 affordable houses per annum. In addition, 7,500 affordable houses per annum will not be able to provide for all of the homeless households in the South West. There were 12,777 households accepted as homeless in the South West during 2003/0471. Provisional data for 2004/05 from the ODPM live tables on homelessness72 show that 9,680 households in priority need were accepted as homeless by local authorities in the South West. ‘Priority need’ is defined in the State of the South West report as those households with dependent children or a pregnant woman, and people who are vulnerable through, for example, mental illness or physical disability. It does not include individuals who do not seek help from their Local Authority; this includes many single people and childless couples. Therefore, the number of homeless households in the South West may actually be higher than 9,680.
12.7. Despite the likely shortfall in required numbers of affordable houses, the provision of 7,500 affordable houses under Policy H1 should nonetheless have a number of positive effects (as found in the national sustainability impact study of additional housing scenarios73) on health and wellbeing, education and employment opportunities and community vitality. However,
71 State of the South West. South West Observatory, 2004. 72 http://www.odpm.gov.uk/pub/306/Table621Excel42Kb_id1156306.xls 73 A Sustainability Impact Study of Additional Housing Scenarios in England. ODPM, December 2005.
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these potential benefits will be dependent on the quality and type of affordable housing delivered. Mitigation or enhancement measures to improve the benefits of affordable housing and reduce the negative effects in the national sustainability impact study included the following:
• Create a sustainable mix of facilities, employment and housing that offers a range of local services and facilities.
• New developments should have a well defined movement framework with direct routes leading to where people want to go by whatever means.
• Unnecessary and ambiguous space should not be provided –defined and purposeful open space is needed.
• Design out crime – places vulnerable to crime should be overlooked by buildings or uses that are busy at all times.
• Improvements in the energy efficiency of homes is needed.
12.8. A number of these mitigation measures are already addressed in other policies of the RSS. Policies SD1 to SD4, Development Policies E to I and Policy H2 should help affordable housing to be high quality and delivered as part of a sustainable mixed use development, offering a range of housing, local services and employment. These policies should also help the provision of affordable housing as part of sustainable mixed use development to reduce the need to travel by car, to be within environmental limits, and to minimise primary mineral use and water consumption, incorporate energy efficiency measures, storage facilities for waste, and make more efficient use of land.
12.9. The main uncertainty is tying in delivery of affordable housing with funding and economics of development. Aspirations are high in Policies H1 and H2, but it is not clear whether there is the public funding in the right places to deliver and/or what can be achieved without grant. In addition, the RSS recognises the tension between policies which push for high density development in sustainable communities and consumer preferences (paragraph 6.1.3) but the RSS is short on real guidance. It states that Local Development Documents (LDDs) have to take account of market realities when negotiating with developers, but it is not clear whether an LDD could go for lower density development because that is what local preferences dictate.
• The RSS could therefore provide more guidance for Local Authorities regarding housing densities that conflict with local market preferences.
12.10. The affordable housing target is for at least 30% of all housing development annually across each local authority and Housing Market Area to be affordable, rising up to 60% or higher where need is greatest.
12.11. There are two potential problems with the 60% target. Firstly, it is uncertain how it will be delivered and what levels of public subsidy it would entail. If it is to be delivered without any grant, 60% could be unrealistically high, unless
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it means some form of low cost home ownership with a very limited discount off market values. 60% of schemes of social rent without grant will almost invariably be difficult to deliver (and some local authorities would struggle at 30%). Secondly, it is uncertain whether 60% affordable housing in mixed tenure schemes provides for mixed communities which are socially and economically sustainable. It depends on what the make-up of the 60% is but this figure is very high and the implications for new housing need to be thought through. It is not clear whether getting a higher percentage of affordable housing on sites pushes up the build rate. If a local authority fails to deliver a sufficiently high percentage of affordable housing on individual sites, it may then have to turn to more mixed tenure schemes so it has more opportunity to deliver affordable housing to meet local need.
12.12. The importance of setting sufficiently low site size thresholds (paragraph 6.1.5) is justifiable in sustainability terms, but it could also be applied to small-scale schemes in urban areas too. It is therefore recommended that:
• Urban areas with a strong need for affordable housing and a profile of sites which are generally small may also need to set low thresholds. From a deliverability viewpoint, thresholds should be dictated by local circumstances not by type of location.
Policy GT1: Assessment of Need for Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Requirements
12.13. Policy GT1 scores well against the SSA objectives in terms of valuing diversity and provision of services, as well as limiting the negative impacts which may result from the use of non-designated areas. The policy sets clear standards for Local Authorities to follow in terms of consultation and need assessment. Policy GT1 supports other policies both in Section 6 (housing) and Section 10 (equality and diversity) of the draft RSS.
12.14. The SSA has no recommendations for improving Policy GT1.
Policy SI1: Provision of Community Services
1.12. Policy SI1 aims to minimise spatial inconsistencies in terms of service provision. As the provision of local need assessments is integral to the policy, it scores well against the ‘provision of facilities in response to the local need’ (SSA sub-objective 3.4). The policy also scores particularly well against the sustainable transport objectives as it encourages local service provision. This has the potential to reduce car-based journeys in the long term, provided provision standards are high. There is good recognition of the need to ensure uniformly high standards of service provision to minimise the number of users wishing to exercise choice by travelling to non-local facilities, which contributes to the positive scoring against the sustainability objectives.
12.15. The State of the South West report (2004)74 found that rural deprivation in terms of access to/distance from services was evident throughout the region. The Countryside Agency Rural Services Survey (2005), discussed in the ‘State
74 State of the South West, South West Observatory, 2004 (www.swo.org.uk)
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of the South West’ report found that the biggest difference between national and regional averages occurred in distance from secondary schools, supermarkets and libraries. It is important that these essential services are accessible, affordable, and of a high standard throughout the region. Recommendations include:
• It is necessary to ensure that improvements and need assessments are also undertaken/considered for existing communities and their facilities, such as the more isolated rural communities, and not just for the areas of new development in the region.
• The policy and/or supporting text could provide indication of the types of ‘high standards’ for service provision to be met, and how these will be regulated.
Policies HE1, HE2 and HE3: Planning for Health Care, Provision of Additional Health Care Facilities, and Health Impact Assessments
12.16. Policies HE1 and HE2 concern provision of health care and facilities, and Policy HE3 aims to ensure that the health and equality impacts of development proposals are considered as part of the decision-making process. These policies should have a direct, long-term and permanent positive impact on SSA high level objective 1. The policies also score well against SSA objectives aiming to meet community’s needs and to meet local needs locally due to the focus in polices/supporting text on the role of need assessments and co-operation with health care providers. The focus on accessible facilities, in line with the 2006 Health White Paper, results in a direct positive scoring for SSA high level objective 4 (providing access to meet people’s needs), and an indirect positive scoring against SSA high level objective 6 (minimising consumption of natural resources). Positive scoring for many of the objectives is due to the list of beneficial impacts listed in paragraph 6.2.6. These would be indirectly considered through Policy HE3. Impacts would be primarily long-term.
12.17. There is a good recognition of the potential impact of changing demographics in the region, and the need for a long-term view when considering provision of health care and facilities.
12.18. HE3 recognises the significance of Health Impact Assessments (HIAs), and that they should be considered at an early stage (prospective) to inform decision making. Guidance prepared by the Health Development Agency75 suggests that HIA is more likely to be effective if decision makers can be involved at the earliest stages, and that HIA must be considered alongside other methods to ensure that health and equity issues are properly considered during decision making.
12.19. The SSA has no recommendations for improving the health policies.
75 Introducing Health Impact Assessment (HIA): Informing the decision making process. Health Development Agency, 2002 (p.4).
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Policies SK1, LCF1 and GI1: Facilitating Access to Skills Training, Local Cultural Facilities, and Green Infrastructure
12.20. Policy SK1 scores particularly well against the SSA objectives aimed at developing the economy to meet people’s needs. The recognition of the implications of long term demographic change is likely to ensure benefits of the policy persist in the long term. Siting community facilities next to mainstream educational facilities should have benefits for community cohesion and minimise the number of trips necessary. The emphasis on ensuring the provision of public transport links to facilities is consistent with improving public transport generally, improving accessibility as well as reducing car-based trips.
12.21. Policy LCF1 aims to support the creation of sustainable communities as defined in PPS 176 by protecting and enhancing existing cultural facilities and improving or creating new cultural facilities where needed. This is also consistent with a report on Culture and the RSS77, which notes that in terms of cultural capital and maintaining a sense of place, cities and regions will only be able to continue to thrive if they attract the new breed of creative, skilled people who want to live in places with high quality cultural facilities. This is strongly linked with health and well-being as well as social inclusion, and as such the policy scored particularly well against SSA high level objectives 1 and 2. The policy should have direct impacts on improving cultural and leisure facilities and access to them. Improving participation in cultural activities may be more indirect and long term but likely. The number of trips necessary may be reduced by providing neighbourhood and local facilities that combine space or resources, as is proposed in paragraph 6.2.14.
1.19. SSA recommendations for Policy LCF1 comprise:
• The policy and/or supporting text could include standards of provision such as those outlined in the Culture South West (2005) report.
• The supporting text could add that Local Development Documents should include policies for securing funding from developer contributions as outlined in the Culture South West (2005) report (Principle 8, p.16).
• Policy LCF1 should aim to ensure maximum physical accessibility, with a high proportion of residents within five miles of a quality cultural facility as a long term objective. This is ‘Principle 3’ in the Culture South West (2005) report.
12.22. Policy GI1 has been taken directly from advice in the SW RSS Discussion paper (2005)78, and as such is grounded in best practice, research and discussions with stakeholders. The policy scored particularly well against the SSA objectives concerned with maintaining and enhancing environmental quality and assets. Improving health through improved well being and
76 PPS1: Delivering Sustainable Communities, ODPM, 2005. 77 Culture and the Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West, Final Report (Elson, M. and Lesley, D. for Culture South West) Culture South West, 2005 (p.7). 78 Enfusion (2005) South West Regional Spatial Strategy Draft Discussion Paper on Green Infrastructure, Enfusion in association with Nicholas Pearson Associates.
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encouraging exercise are supported by the policy, as it could indirectly reduce the number of car based trips due to the provision of network of open spaces linking town and country. The policy has clear positive implications for the environment in towns and cities, the connectivity of urban and rural areas, and the health and well being of residents.
12.23. Policy GI1 should contribute to reducing air, water and soil pollution. An English Nature report79 found that multi-functional green networks can play a positive role in achieving the functional targets of clean air, water and soil which environmental sustainability demands (EN, 1997, 200380).
12.24. Policy GI1 also has positive implications for giving everyone access to learning and knowledge through improving/enhancing environmental education. The policy encourages enhanced contact with nature and presents it as an immediate educational resource; ‘the countryside in and around towns provides hands-on learning opportunities and a variety of ‘outdoor classrooms’ (TCPA, 200481, and CA, 200582).
Conclusions 12.25. While Policies H1 and H2 will not enable sufficient affordable housing to
meet the total need in the South West, they will go some way towards it, and there are a number of nationally recognised sustainability benefits associated with affordable housing provision. These include helping more people to afford a decent home, improving health and education opportunities, creating more sustainable, mixed communities with reduced need to travel by car. However, the benefits are very much dependent on the delivery of good quality affordable housing, and this is the main uncertainty associated with Policies H1 and H2. Achievement of the high targets for affordable housing and densities within development proposals is likely to be very difficult without the provision of some public subsidy. More guidance is needed for local authorities on how to deal with housing densities that conflict with local market preferences, and low site thresholds may need to be considered in some urban locations as well as in rural areas.
12.26. Section 6 recognises the role of community facilities and infrastructure in the creation and enhancement of sustainable communities. Policies reflect evidence on predicted demographic changes in the South West, such as population increase and the ageing population. The policies are consistent with existing national guidance and regional strategies, reflecting specific
79 English Nature (1997) ANGSt, A framework for the future: green networks with multiple uses in and around towns and cities, No. 256 – English Nature research reports http://www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/publication/PDF/256_1.pdf 80 English Nature (2003) Accessible Nature Greenspace Standards in Towns and Cities: A Review and Toolkit for their Implementation, English Nature research report 526. 81 Town and Country Planning Association (2004) Biodiversity By Design: A Guide for Sustainable Communities (online) at: http://www.tcpa.org.uk/biodiversitybydesign/pdfs/TCPA_biodiversity_guide_lowres.pdf 82 Countryside Agency (2005) The Countryside in and around Towns: A Vision for Connecting Town and Country in the Pursuit of Sustainable Development (online) at: http://www.countryside.gov.uk/Images/CAT_tcm2-22089.pdf .
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research studies undertaken for the RSS such as that on green infrastructure provision.
12.27. The policies address many of the key issues identified surrounding community facilities and infrastructure provision, such as the need for high quality and accessible facilities. Ensuring local facilities are of a high quality and are accessible by public transport is essential to discourage people from travelling to non-local facilities. Exercising this choice has negative implications for transport based greenhouse gas emissions, threatens the role of the facilities in the community and the economic viability of the facilities themselves.
12.28. The role of the environment in promoting sustainable communities and improving quality of life is recognised in the green infrastructure policy. Enhancing the public realm and encouraging environmental education provides multiple benefits for communities and the natural environment.
12.29. SSA recommendations for improvements to the policies generally concern implementation. In particular, sufficient resources (e.g. grants) will need to be made available to ensure the deliver the affordable housing targets in the draft RSS.
12.30. Section 6 policies emphasise the importance of provision for growth areas and new communities. It is essential that the level of provision is also improved in existing communities and those outside the growth areas identified in the draft RSS.
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13. SECTION 7 OF THE DRAFT RSS: ENHANCING DISTINCTIVE ENVIRONMENTS AND CULTURAL LIFE
INTRODUCTION 13.1. Section 7 presents a series of policies intended to improve quality of life in the region
through the sustainable planning and management of environmental, cultural and natural resources. It describes the opportunities and pressures posed by increased growth and development in the region. The policies within this section aim to contribute to the creation of a sustainable region and sustainable communities, through means such as wise resource use and the protection and enhancement of the region’s distinctive natural and cultural heritage. Some policies in this section take the form of proposed mitigation for spatial development policies elsewhere in the draft RSS, while others aim to ensure development is directed to locations where negative impacts on the environment will be minimised. Together, the policies within Section 7 provide a means by which the spatial strategy can harness the opportunities presented by the region’s assets, and at the same time protect and enhance them. Section 7 is divided into the following sub-sections:
• Enhancing cultural activity and developing the regional cultural infrastructure.
• Protecting and enhancing our distinctive environments: conserving and enhancing the South West’s environmental assets.
• Wiser use of natural resources.
• Waste management.
What does the draft RSS section say?
Enhancing cultural activity and developing the regional cultural infrastructure
13.2. This sub-section recognises the importance of the region’s nationally and internationally significant cultural assets, presenting cultural activity and infrastructure development as a key tool to support the spatial strategy, in terms of encouraging more people to live and work in the SSCTs, and helping to ‘shape sustainable communities’ through greater cultural participation and improved quality of life. These intentions are expressed through Policy C1.
Protecting and enhancing our distinctive environments: conserving and enhancing the South West’s environmental assets
13.3. This sub-section recognises the role of the natural environment in shaping the character and distinctiveness of the South West. The region’s natural assets are seen to be ‘at the heart of the strategic approach to managing growth contained in the spatial strategy’. The environment as an economic ‘driver’ is seen as an important tool in attracting investment and developing the economy, drawing links with the
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Regional Economic Strategy (RES) and Regional Sustainable Development Framework (RSDF). The opportunities posed by cultural and environmental assets are to be exploited for economic gain (through tourism and heritage based regeneration), and also to improve quality of life. Development is to be used in a positive way to the enhance assets which characterise the region, and harness opportunities for biodiversity.
13.4. Policy ENV1 sets out the priority for the protection of environmental assets and presents a sequential approach for local authorities to apply when considering development.
13.5. The importance of landscape character in shaping the identity of the South West is recognised and supported by Policies ENV2 – 3. Protection and enhancement is encouraged through the use of Landscape Character Assessment (ENV2), and development control in protected landscapes (ENV3).
13.6. The approach to nature conservation outlined in Policy ENV4 and supporting text aims to ‘maintain and enhance’, making strong links to the UK and South West Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs).
13.7. ENV5 outlines the role of local authorities in identifying, assessing and ensuring the sensitive management of historical assets as part of the ‘environmental driver’ approach.
13.8. Policies CO1, CO2 and supporting text outline the importance of the region’s coast from an environmental, social, and economic perspective, and present an approach to management. They refer to the importance of a cross boundary/partnership approach to defining and protecting the coastal zone, outlining development control criteria (CO1) and the use of management plans (CO2).
13.9. Policy F1 and supporting text recognise the threats posed by climate change, and the need to adapt and defend accordingly while exploiting the benefits for biodiversity and nature conservation.
Wiser use of natural resources
13.10. This sub-section recognises the role of natural resources in supporting a good quality of life. The policies presented are designed to promote a shift to resource efficiency considering the impacts of growing demand for resources and the protection of the region’s environmental quality.
13.11. Energy Policies RE1- RE 5 aim to minimise the negative impacts of increased consumption resulting from growing demand for the built environment. The section presents renewable energy targets for the region based on the 2003 Energy White Paper83 and the REvision 2010 project84 (Policy RE1). The approach to coastal zones and off-shore energy opportunities are addressed through Policy RE2, and the opportunities for renewable heat in the region are addressed through Policy RE3.
83 Our Energy Future – creating a low carbon economy, Energy White Paper, Dti, February 2003. 84 Revision 2010 - establishing county/sub-regional targets for renewable electricity development to 2010, Final Report, submitted by Peter Capener: CSMA Consultants: CSE: ESD Ltd on behalf of GO-SE and SWRA, June 2004.
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Policy RE4 considers the role of local planning authorities and the development control process to ensure maximum social and economic benefits and minimum negative impact on the environment. Policy RE5 presents the ‘energy hierarchy’ and the role of sustainable construction and design, and outlines renewable requirements for new development with consideration for the lifetime affordability of homes.
13.12. Policy RE6 provides a means by which a number of water management strategies can be brought together to form a strategic approach to water management in the South West.
13.13. Policy RE7 aims to ensure sustainable land management objectives are integrated at the local level but reflect regional objectives, through the development of area-specific packages which focus on the specific natural and cultural needs of local areas. Policy RE8 considers the second largest land use in the region after agriculture, aiming to ensure local authorities take account of the Regional Woodland and Forestry Framework (RWFF).
13.14. Air quality policy RE9 represents an example of mitigation for development policies elsewhere in the draft RSS that support growth, aiming to both reduce pollution and encourage sustainable developments with minimal negative air quality impacts.
13.15. Minerals and aggregates extraction are major sources of employment in the South West. Policies RE10-12 provide an approach for considering the location, management and type of mineral and aggregates extraction.
Waste management
13.16. Waste management is recognised in this sub-section as one of the greatest challenges facing the region in light of growth proposed in the draft RSS. Policies W1-4 provide guidance for the approach to location, management and type of new waste facilities and technologies. The local as well as regional and national implications are considered, from sustainable construction and design to the application of the proximity principle. The ‘waste hierarchy’ underpins the policies (i.e. minimise, re-use, recycle, recover, dispose).
What are the likely effects on the SSA headline objectives? 13.17. The appraisal matrices to accompany the following analysis of Section 7 policies can
be found in Appendix B7.
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health Section 7 policies have the potential to improve health in the region in a number of ways. Wellbeing and quality of life may be improved through enhancing people’s surroundings. This should be achieved by improving cultural activity and infrastructure (C1), and the protection and enhancement of environmental assets (ENV1 and 5). Improvements to health should also be achieved
None specifically identified.
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Positive effects Negative effects through the promotion of physical exercise and outdoor recreation in an enhanced and accessible environment (ENV2, 3 & 4, CO1, and RE8). Improvements to, and minimisation of, the factors which present physical risk or contribute to ill-health may be achieved through Section 7 policies by:
• Minimising flood risk (F1); • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving
air quality (RE1-5 and RE9); • Reducing fuel poverty (RE1-5); and the • Adequate provision of safe drinking water (RE6).
Positive impacts to health as a result of Section 7 policies are mainly indirect, but are likely to be region-wide and permanent. Support communities that meet people’s needs The policies in Section 7 should support communities which meet people’s needs primarily through providing opportunities and the means by which people can participate in cultural and social activities, and through encouraging inclusive, vibrant communities which are capable of self-sufficiency (e.g. with respect to energy and waste). Policies C1 and ENV5 should play a major role in improving access to and enhancing cultural and heritage based assets in the South West. Recognising and fulfilling the opportunities posed by the region’s assets for economic gain (C1, ENV4, ENV5) can also have social benefits. Improvements to the efficiency of resource use (RE5, RE6) may help to reduce living costs in new and adapted developments. RE 5 aims to ensure homes are both affordable and energy efficient.
Measures to mitigate or avoid damage or harm to communities and the environment in the long term can often have short term negative implications. For example, Policy F1 could lead to the displacement of people from their chosen location/community.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs The ‘environmental driver’ concept underpins much of the approach taken to the protection and enhancement of environmental assets in Section 7. The economic potential of environmental assets is to be harnessed through tourism and heritage-based regeneration (ENV1, ENV4, ENV5, CO1, and RE8). Policies in Section 7 aim to build on existing skills bases to improve employment (W1-4, RE1-5), which should help to increase access to satisfying work opportunities. The promotion of self-sufficiency and recognition of the impacts of climate change are likely to improve
While the ‘environmental driver’ approach should benefit the South West economy, it may also put pressure on environmental assets.
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Positive effects Negative effects communities’ independence as well as reinforce their ability to adapt to the impacts of climate change (CO1, F1, RES6, RE1-5 and RE8). Managing and using land as a key capital asset for the region is integral to Policy RE7; it should therefore have significant positive benefits for this headline objective. One of the main disadvantages of the ‘environmental driver’ approach is the possibility that improvements may increase visitor numbers. This has positive implications for the economy but could cause damage to the assets themselves through visitor pressure (ENV4 & 5, CO1, RE8). Parts of the South West are valued for their remoteness and tranquillity. Paragraph 7.2.2 suggests that growth and investment as a result of the environmental driver approach could be used to further protect and enhance environmental and cultural assets. Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment The use of the proximity principle and reducing the need to transport waste by road in Policies W1-4, and the protection of air quality in Policy RE9 should have a positive effect on this headline objective.
None specifically identified.
The focus on the protection of the environment as an economic ‘driver’ in Policy ENV1 has the potential to encourage car based trips e.g. through the visitor economy. This is mitigated to some extent by Policy TO1 ‘Sustainable Tourism’ and supporting text (paragraph 8.5.7, page 162), which aims to ensure sustainable tourism management including ‘achieving sustainable accessibility and reducing the need to travel, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions’. Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets Maintaining and improving environmental quality and assets is outlined in the draft RSS as a key intention of Section 7. Therefore, the policies have the potential to provide positive contribution to this headline objective in a number of ways. Many of the policies will have a positive impact on habitats and species by both directly protecting them from damage by development (ENV1-4, RE 8), and improving and enhancing the environment/elements on which they depend (CO1, F1, RE1-5, RE6, RE9). Diversity and distinctiveness are supported throughout Section 7. Policies ENV 1-5 and RE7 - 8 recognise the natural features which contribute to local distinctiveness and set out means by which this can be protected and opportunities harnessed. The importance of adaptability to climate change is recognised through much of Section 7. This includes reducing vulnerability of at risk areas through location of development (C1 and F1), enhancing resilience of species and habitats (ENV4), and harnessing opportunities posed by the impacts of climate change such as flooding (CO1, and F1).
None specifically identified.
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Positive effects Negative effects Policies in this Section recognise the importance of landscapes and townscapes and their potential as economic and social assets. CI, ENV1 and ENV5 aim to protect and enhance these directly, while indirect advantages for landscape and townscape protection should result from policies F1 (protection from flooding), RE6 (through ensuring an adequate supply of suitable water resources), W1-4 (through sensitive siting and integrated design of facilities), and RE9 through a reduction in acid rain and associated erosion. Minimise consumption of natural resources There are several ways in which Section 7 policies should help to minimise the consumption of natural resources. Policies contribute to this headline objective by:
• Aiming to reduce consumption of virgin/finite resources (RE1-5, RE6, RE10-12,W1-4) directly, through recycling, and indirectly through minimising the extraction of virgin resources); and
• aiming to increase the resource efficiency of existing and new development and communities (ENV4, RE1-5, RES6, RE9, W1-4).
Impacts are generally long-term, direct, region-wide and permanent.
None specifically identified.
What improvements (e.g. mitigation, enhancement) could be made?
Enhancing cultural activity and developing the regional cultural infrastructure
13.18. The inclusion in Section 7 of the role of cultural infrastructure presents these assets as part of the ‘environmental driver’ approach. Recognition of the importance of cultural assets and the opportunities posed by them for the region, in terms of regeneration, visitor economy, and participation in cultural life should help to create inclusive, vibrant communities. It is important to ensure that the exploitation of these assets does not ultimately lead to their damage, loss or erosion. Following earlier SSA recommendations the draft RSS now recognises the need to harness opportunities such as the Olympic Games in a sustainable way to ensure ‘maximum benefits with minimum detrimental impacts’ (paragraph 7.1.3, page113). An outstanding recommendation for Policy C1 is that:
• The RSS could go one step further and include, within Policy C1 text, assurance that the negative implications of cultural development, such as increased visitor numbers (i.e. pressures on transport/resources/the assets themselves such as parks and open spaces or the historic environment) are considered when developing proposals.
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Protecting and enhancing our distinctive environments: conserving and enhancing the South West’s environmental assets
13.19. The supporting text to Policy ENV1 suggests that environmental assets are ‘at the heart of the strategic approach to managing growth’ (paragraph 7.2.1). The policy should have clear sustainability benefits and contribute to the fulfilment of many of the conservation sustainability objectives. However, there is a strong focus on the importance of environmental assets in the region as economic ‘drivers’. While the role of the environment as an economic driver in the RES is clear, and the RSS needs to be consistent with the RES, there is not enough mention of the intrinsic and social value of the region’s environmental assets, or the implications for emissions and pressure on the environment as a result of attracting visitors and investment. Following earlier SSA recommendations, this has improved in the draft RSS as it now recognises that the approach should be two-way; the quality of the environment should be used to attract investment, and in turn investment should be used to protect and enhance environmental and cultural assets.
13.20. Policy ENV1 also includes a sequential approach to development that aims to protect, mitigate and compensate for loss of environmental assets from development. It is suggested that, where loss of environmental assets might take place, the need for development should be questioned. If it can be proven that there is an over-riding need for the development, then alternative forms and locations should be considered that provide similar benefits, before resorting to mitigation and compensation. Outstanding SSA recommendations include:
• More of a focus on the importance of environmental assets as a quality of life resource for the region and recognition of the intrinsic value of environmental assets may be appropriate.
• Using environmental assets as an economic driver is integral to the success of the spatial strategy, but it is important to ensure the promotion of these assets as tourist attractions does not conflict with resource and transport sustainability objectives.
• ENV1 policy text could include within the sequential approach the consideration of alternative forms of development and locations that provide similar benefits, before mitigation and compensation are resorted to.
13.21. Policies ENV2, ENV3 and ENV4 should make positive contributions to many of the sustainability objectives. The following outstanding recommendations should enhance this contribution:
• Policy ENV3 could mention Heritage Coasts as well as National Parks and AONBs.
• The text of Policy ENV4 states that where development increases the urban footprint, proposals to create new habitats are included in master plans. Clarification should be included as to whether this is as mitigation, suggesting development has priority, or as an additional nature conservation tool.
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• Clarification of the priority of Policy ENV4 in relation to the development policies in Sections 3 & 4 may be necessary, as the English Nature ‘nature map’ shows wildlife-rich habitats in close proximity to the SSCTs, where development is focussed.
13.22. Policy ENV5 recognises the importance of both the protected and unprotected historic environment, and therefore emphasises both the need for its protection and the social and economic benefits of its development. The supporting text to the policy states that characterisation tools are used to ensure that assets are protected and enhanced, and identify opportunities where development could have beneficial effects. The Policy itself refers to the inclusion of a definition of characterisation tools in the draft RSS glossary, but these have not been included.
13.23. It is necessary to ensure the level and location of proposed coastal development outlined in Policy CO1 is sustainable. The criteria for ‘presumptions against development’ go some way to ensuring this. These development control criteria have now been made a part of CO1 policy text following earlier SSA recommendations.
There is one outstanding recommendation for Policy CO1:
• The first criterion in the ‘presumptions against development’ could be replaced with ‘contributes to the unspoilt character and appearance of the coast’. This would present a more positive management approach.
13.24. The cross-boundary approach to coastal planning has now been reinforced in the draft RSS with the inclusion of a new policy, CO2. The co-ordination of management plans is a good approach for helping to achieve sustainable development of the coast.
13.25. Flood policy (F1) provides a strategy for adaptation and protection with consideration for the impacts of climate change. The policy and supporting text mentions a number of plans and strategies, and now includes reference to River Basin Management Plans. These are required under the Water Framework Directive and link water quality with water resource issues. Policy F1 could be enhanced with the following considerations:
• More explicit definition of what is classified as ‘vital social or economic assets’.
• The Policy or supporting text should ensure that any displaced development/communities are relocated in sustainable locations which offer a similar quality of life.
• The Environment Agency has produced a map of the increased frequency of severe tidal flooding in the 2080s on the coast of the South West considering predicted sea level rise, which estimates that the whole of the South West coast will have between a 2.3-12.5% chance of flooding in one year. Predicted frequencies are particularly high on the Cornish and North Devon coasts, and in the coastal area between Christchurch and Weymouth. The draft RSS now includes a flood risk map, but development in the SSCTs in high risk areas and
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throughout the South West must account for these long term as well as medium term predictions in order to reduce vulnerability.
13.26. The Environment Agency/English Nature are producing a flood risk review to assist the SWRA in their review of the findings of the JSAs in relation to flood risk and the Habitats Directive85. This details the settlements at risk from flooding (e.g. Taunton), and the areas where consultation regarding flood risk would need to be sought from English Nature/Natural England (e.g. The River Avon). The review will also outline areas where low risk sites are available (e.g. Throop). The supporting text for Policy F1 now includes reference to the Environment Agency/English Nature flood risk review as an aid to guiding development in the region.
• The findings of the regional flood risk review should be reflected in the sub-regional policies of Section 4 of the draft RSS.
Wiser use of natural resources
13.27. Reduction in fuel poverty as set out in the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy86, and reiterated in the 2003 Energy White Paper87 aims to end fuel poverty in vulnerable households in England and Northern Ireland by 2010. While improving income has been one of the major means by which to minimise fuel poverty so far, the role of producing affordable renewable energy in affordable energy efficient homes is important. In response to SSA recommendations this is now referred to in the draft RSS through Policy RE5 and supporting text as a means to contribute to meeting the UK’s 2010 targets. In addition, RE5 now aims to ensure the impact on the lifetime affordability of homes is taken into account when considering energy efficiency requirements for new developments.
13.28. Outstanding recommendations comprose:
• The policies must be consistent with targets and figures from the emerging Energy Review88.
• While paragraph 7.3.9 considers the landscape and visual impact of renewable energy schemes in general, Policy RE4 should state that landscapes without statutory landscape designations may also be sensitive.
• The elements listed in paragraph 7.3.9 as requiring consideration during the construction and operation of renewable energy schemes (e.g. air quality, landscape, pollution, flood risk) could be included or referred to in Policy RE4.
• Consideration of the impacts of renewable energy developments on cultural and historical assets should be added to the list of factors requiring consideration in paragraph 7.3.9.
85 SW RSS JSA Flood Risk Review (Notes of Meeting between SWRA, Environment Agency & SSA team). Prepared by the Environment Agency for SWRA, January 2006 86 The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, Dti, 2001 87 Our Energy Future – creating a low carbon economy, Energy White Paper, Dti, February 2003 88 Securing clean, affordable energy for the long term (Energy Review consultation document) Dti, 2006
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13.29. Policy RE6 concerning water resources successfully brings together a number of strategies, recognising key pressures on the region in the light of proposed growth. The policy aims to both minimise pressure on resources and mitigate inevitable impacts. The potential impact of changing development patterns in neighbouring regions, such as the pressure on supply to Wessex Water’s North, South and East zones; Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water’s Bournemouth zone and Thames Water’s Severn and South West Oxfordshire (SWOX) zone are identified in an Environment Agency report89 and have now been recognised in the draft RSS as a result of SSA recommendations. Policy RE6 and supporting text also recognises the need for consistency with catchment abstraction strategies, and new reference in the draft RSS to River Basin Management Plans and the Water Framework Directive goes some way to ensure that the findings of the Environment Agency report and the implications for the scale and location of development in the region are accounted for.
13.30. One of the major issues highlighted in the Environment Agency report is that modelled household growth in the catchments of the SWOX ‘resource zones’ is substantially higher than in the Agency’s March 2005 report. While the majority of the zone lies outside the South West, the smaller proportions of these zones that lie in the South West region contain the major population centres of Gloucester and Cheltenham in the Severn zone and Swindon in the SWOX zone, which are identified as SSCTs in the draft RSS. The EA report states that these zones could be in deficit by 2009/10 without significant intervention (e.g. water efficiency, leakage control, new water resource infrastructure, etc.). The draft RSS has now made some consideration for the consequences of growth outside the region’s boundaries alongside the South West region. This is important to ensure that water supply will be available across the whole zone.
13.31. Another Environment Agency report90 considers the likely implications of increasing the population served by waste water treatment facilities by 25%. It suggests that careful review of the growth plans for settlements with tight environmental and treatment constraints is necessary. Four settlements are highlighted as causing concern in terms of the pressures of population growth on waste water treatment facilities. These are Swindon, Cheltenham, Falmouth/Truro and Salisbury. Swindon’s water treatment issues were raised by RPG 10, and detailed studies are underway to develop a plan for the long-term management of waste water for the town. As a result of previous SSA recommendations, the supporting text to Policy RE6 now refers to these issues.
13.32. The approach taken to sustainable land management in Policy RE7 has a number of sustainability benefits, such as the consideration of the complex local economic, social, and natural resource issues surrounding land management. The inclusion of this policy with a focus on area-specific packages provides a positive approach to sustainable land management at the local level.
89 Supplementary Report on Water Resources, Environment Agency, January 2006.
90 RSS SW (RSS 10) Waste water treatment and disposal: A Summary of the Environmental Issues Affecting the Main Settlements, Version 3, Environment Agency, February 2006.
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1.30. The policy on woodlands and forests (RE8) and supporting text provide good links with other parts of the draft RSS (e.g. through the promotion of tourism and encouraging local supply chains). The focus on the advantages for rural areas and new development has positive effects on the recognition and protection of rural distinctiveness, and encourages local needs to be met locally. The policy wording of ‘sustainable tourism’ is encouraging.
13.33. Outstanding recommendations include:
• It would be useful to provide further guidance for local authorities where replacement for ‘appropriate woodland on at least the same scale’ is required. It could be suggested that local authorities include guidelines within LDDs.
• The policy refers to ‘unavoidable loss’. A definition of this may be appropriate in the supporting text to give the statement added weight, as it is likely that there will be few instances where woodland loss cannot be avoided.
• The possible negative implications of encouraging tourism, such as the use of unsustainable modes of travel and pressures on the woodland and forest habitats themselves must be taken into account in local strategies.
• More explanation for LPAs on the need to include requirements for replacement woodlands to make contributions easier to apply at the local level.
13.34. Air quality Policy RE9 plays an important role in both reducing pollution and encouraging sustainable developments with minimal negative impacts on air quality. The policy focuses on the 12 local authority areas where national Air Quality Objectives are not likely to be achieved. The policy represents an example of mitigation for development policies elsewhere in the draft RSS. It provides welcome support to minimise the ‘ecological footprint’ of growth proposed elsewhere in the draft RSS (Sections 1 & 3).
13.35. Minerals and aggregates extraction are major sources of employment in the South West. The Section 7 policies provide an approach for the location, management and type of mineral and aggregates extraction. The policies generally scored well against the sustainability objectives. Where negative effects were noted, these are often because of the existing negative impacts of unavoidable extraction such as land-take. A technical report commissioned by the SWRA91 considered alternative scenarios for aggregate supply in the region, and placed particular emphasis on environmental protection, especially within designated areas. The report concluded that environmental protection issues such as pressure in designated areas need to be properly balanced against other environmental factors (such as those relating to aggregates transportation) and considered alongside the various social and economic implications. Given the environmental sensitivity of some of the locations of mineral reserves in the region, this could raise some sustainability issues.
91 Technical and Strategic Assessment of Aggregate Supply Options in the South West Region, a report by Capita Symonds Ltd for SWRA, June 2005.
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Waste management
13.36. Waste Policies W1-4 in Section 7 focus on the sustainable management of waste. The policies are based strongly on the Regional Waste Strategy which underwent ‘Best Practicable Environmental Option’ (BPEO) screening in 200392 and therefore should have a number of positive effects.
13.37. Outstanding recommendations comprise:
• The policies would be enhanced by recognition of the importance of community-based waste management initiatives used to raise awareness of waste management options. These are supported in the Regional Waste Strategy (2003).
• More emphasis on reducing the production of waste in the first instance (e.g. by reducing consumption) would put waste management into the sustainability context of the RSS as a whole.
Conclusions 13.38. As set out above, Section 7 provides both mitigation for development policies
elsewhere in the draft RSS, and a means by which the South West can contribute to wider national and international sustainability targets, as well as those set within the region itself. The contents of the policies directly address some of the sustainability objectives, such as minimising the consumption of resources and protecting and enhancing environmental and cultural assets. In addition, it is clear that many of the recommendations made in earlier drafts of the SSA have been taken on board.
13.39. Section 7 recognises the way in which the region’s assets and distinctiveness can be used for economic and social advantage. However, while the focus on the ‘environmental driver’ approach has positive implications for the economy, it could have negative implications for the environment through the possibility of increased visitor pressure on the environment and encouraging travel by unsustainable modes. The recognition now included in the draft RSS of the need to re-invest in cultural and environmental assets to ensure their protection goes some way to mitigating the potential negative impacts. Mitigation for the potential negative impacts is also addressed to some extent elsewhere in the draft RSS. For example, the supporting text to Policy TO1 ‘Sustainable Tourism’ (paragraph 8.5.7, page 162) aims to ensure sustainable tourism management including ‘achieving sustainable accessibility and reducing the need to travel, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions’.
13.40. While Section 7 policies provide a means by which damage to the environment caused by growth may be mitigated, other policies elsewhere in the draft RSS, such as transport policy TR3, are likely to offset the extent to which a number of regional and national environmental protection targets such as those for CO² emissions will be met for the South West.
92 Developing a regional waste strategy for the SWRA, Phase 4: Initial BPEO screening, produced by SLR Consulting Ltd in association with LUC for SWRA, June 2003
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13.41. The policies within Section 7 have a sound evidence base, and successfully link a number of strategies in the region, evident particularly in the waste and water resource policies. The implication of this for the sustainability objectives is positive as these strategies have gone through their own appraisal and/ or consultation process and analysis at the local level.
13.42. Environment Agency research on water resources highlighted the need to recognise the influence of changes in development patterns outside the boundaries of the South West, and the implications of this for development in the region. The Severn and South West Oxfordshire water resource zones are particularly vulnerable in the short-term in this respect. The draft RSS now recognises the role of the Water Framework Directive in delivering a strategic, cross-boundary approach to sustainable water resource management.
13.43. The draft RSS could be more explicit with ensuring development proposed in Sections 3 & 4 is within global, national, regional and local environmental capacity. This could be helped by using the opportunity this chapter presents to explain what is meant in a South West context by the phrase ‘environmental limits’ that is included in Policy SD3. Because Section 7 does not do this, it is unclear the extent to which development policies have precedence over environmental protection and enhancement policies. The ‘decision-making framework’ proposed in this SSA would be a useful tool for determining this. Similarly, stronger links could be made between this Section of the draft RSS and Policy SD4 ‘Sustainable Communities’.
13.44. Some of the policies present a general approach to the location of development that local planning authorities are to take into account when preparing Local Development Documents. A list of criteria or quantifiable targets within policies aids the development control process. Section 7 of the draft RSS now includes more criteria in some of the policies (such as policy CO1).
13.45. Overall, the policies within Section 7 achieve a good balance between improving the efficiency of existing development, and ensuring future development is sustainable. The policies represent a key tool in ensuring the sustainability of the draft RSS, but their success depends on their implementation at the local level. This may be difficult in some cases, as the objectives of the policies may sometimes conflict with the ability to achieve rapid ‘growth’.
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14. SECTION 8 OF THE DRAFT RSS: ENHANCING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND QUALITY OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Introduction 14.1. Section 8 of the draft RSS discusses the relationship of the draft RSS to the
Regional Economic Strategy93 (RES) and how the spatial strategy and sub regional emphases in Section 3 of the draft RSS aim to deliver economic development where needed, principally in the SSCTs identified in Development Policy A of the draft RSS and the other towns described in Development Policy B. The draft RSS supports the RES vision and Section 8 provides specific policies that enable the RES vision to be realised in spatial terms.
What does the draft RSS section say? 14.2. Section 8 refers to the pronounced east to west gradient of productivity in
the South West region, and links its purpose to the spatial priorities for interventions set out in Section 3 to enable economic development to tackle the deeper seated regeneration needs of the Western Peninsula and to realise the economic potential of the SSCTs in the centre and north of the region. The purpose of Section 8 is to set out specific principles and policies to enable that change to happen on the ground. It identifies a need to build on existing business success and further raise business productivity.
14.3. Section 8 draws on the State of the Region Report and evidence base from the RES to outline some of the key economic sectors in the South West. It notes that education and training are essential to support and develop business, and emphasises the need for growth of small businesses in rural areas, and that accessibility to broadband and future ICT communication technologies will reduce remoteness in rural areas.
14.4. Policies E1 to E5 address the provision of employment sites, along with the need for regular review of the need for employment development sites. Policy E2 emphasises the use of the sequential test from PPG4 when identifying sites for employment such that urban locations are considered in preference to outside urban areas. Policy E5 is specifically about waterfront development.
14.5. Policy TC1 addresses the provision of retail, office, other employment, services and accessibility of city and town centres in the SSCTs and Other Towns within the context of Development Policy B.
93 Regional Economic Strategy for the South West of England 2006-2015. Draft for Consultation. South West Regional Development Agency, September 2005.
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14.6. Section 8 also seeks to improve the quality and sustainability of tourism in the South West (one of the key economic sectors identified in the RES), and Policies TO1 and TO2 encourage investment in provision, or improvement of, tourism facilities that leads to a more sustainable tourism industry, and seeks to reduce pressure on areas already under greatest pressure from the tourism market. Policy TO3 provides guidance on major new high quality, high profile attractions.
14.7. Policy CA1 provides an opening for the development of regional and large casinos, so long as development proposals meet certain criteria.
What are the likely effects on the SSA headline objectives? 14.8. The appraisal matrices to accompany the following analysis of Section 7
policies can be found in Appendix B8.
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health Policies E1-E5 may provide some opportunities for improving health through job creation, and reference to health and reducing economic disparity in the region. Policies TC1 and TO1, TO2 and TO3 should contribute to improving health and health inequalities by improving access to services, leisure, recreation and culture for everyone in the region. Policy TO3 also seek to improve the accessibility of tourism attractions by public transport, cycling and walking, which may help to promote healthy lifestyles. The effects are likely to be indirect, region-wide, and permanent.
Policy CA1 is likely to lead to problem gambling and give rise to health issues and potentially increase health inequalities.
Support communities that meet people’s needs Identification and provision of a range of employment sites (Policies E1-E5), culture, leisure, housing (Policy TC1) and tourism facilities (Policy TO1) should help to significantly improve access to learning, training, skills and knowledge, increase access to and participation in cultural activities and promote more vibrant communities. A strong, stable and sustainable economy, reduced inequalities, and vibrant town centres could help to reduce the incentive to carry out crime. Most effects are likely to be indirect (except for increasing access to and participation in cultural activities), region-wide, and permanent.
Research suggests that Policy CA1 would be more likely to undermine regeneration objectives than support them.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs Policies E1-E5 should help to improve access to satisfying work opportunities, help more people
Minimising the need to travel is not mentioned specifically in
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Positive effects Negative effects to afford a comfortable standard of living, reduce income disparity. The policies should also contribute to a better alignment of jobs, homes and services (a key guiding principle for the draft RSS in Policies SD1, SD2 and SD4), which should in turn help to minimise the need to travel. Policy TC1 should contribute to meeting local needs locally and increasing the circulation of wealth within the region, provided the types of business and retail facilities are based on the up-to-date understanding of needs and function of the town centres required in the supporting text for TC1. Improvements to the retail, cultural and leisure provision of SSCTs and Other Towns in the South West may encourage people to stay in/visit the South West for holidays rather than go further afield, helping to reduce the vulnerability of the economy to climate change (by minimising the need to travel by car and air). Policies TO1 to TO2 seek investment in sustainable tourism and to improve the quality of its overall “offer” and should therefore help to increase access to satisfying work opportunities and also to increase the circulation of wealth within the region, particularly if it encourages more people to holiday in the South West. The effects are likely to be direct, region-wide, and permanent.
the policies E1-E5, which could undermine meeting local needs locally if people still travel long distances for services, employment and retail facilities. The emphasis on time/distance to London could decrease the circulation of wealth in the region. Economic activity and development specifically relating to the needs of an ageing and retired population are not clearly addressed. Some economic opportunities in more rural locations may be ruled out. Whilst Policy CA1 would create jobs, research suggests that these may well not benefit those most in need.
E5 aims to safeguard waterside sites for social and economic uses that require a waterside location, giving priority to maritime industries, thus the economic potential of the coast should be harnessed. However, the policy does not refer to the potential impacts of these uses and industries on the marine environment or their potential vulnerability to climate change. Six of the SSCTs and a number of the Other Towns are on the coast. It is uncertain whether the provision of economic development in these towns will impact positively or negatively on the coast. It is also uncertain whether the tourism improvements delivered under TO1 will impact positively or negatively on the coast given that the region’s Heritage Coast, beaches of Cornwall, Devon and Bournemouth and many coastal towns are major tourism attractions. Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Policies E1-E5 are in line with overall strategy in the draft RSS to provide opportunities for people to live closer to where they work. As above, people may be encouraged to holiday in the South West rather than travelling further afield by air, if cultural, leisure and tourism facilities are improved in the region. Improving
Policies E1-E5 and TO1 do not specifically refer to sustainable modes of transport as a consideration when identifying employment sites. Although sustainable transport is addressed in Section 5 of the draft RSS, the economy
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Positive effects Negative effects the accessibility of town centres by public transport, cycling and walking should help to make these modes of transport more attractive, helping everyone to access basic services and reducing the need to travel by car. However, unless the accessibility of tourism facilities by public transport is improved and integrated with wider, intra- and inter-regional public transport routes, the need and desire to travel by car and air may not be reduced. The effects are likely to be indirect, region-wide, and permanent.
section of the draft RSS offers an opportunity to reinforce this message. Policy E1 specifically mentions airport development, which is unsustainable (even though it is in line with national policy). It is not clear how far the economic policies will encourage a switch in freight transport to rail or water.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets Policies E1-E5 should significantly benefit the conservation and wise use of land. The effects of town centre development on habitats, landscapes and townscapes is difficult to judge, given the fact that this is best determined on a site-by-site basis. However, concentrating retail, cultural, leisure and office provision in the SSCTs and other towns should help to avoid potential impacts outside of these centres. Protection and enhancement of the historic integrity of city and town centres will be needed. Some of the region’s recognised tourism destinations and attractions include environmental assets such as landscapes and the coast as well as cultural and historic assets (e.g. AONBs, Heritage Coast and beaches, Stonehenge, Bath, Country Houses etc). Policy TO1 seeks to realise the potential of the region’s environmental, cultural and heritage assets where consistent with their conservation. The effects are likely to be indirect, region-wide, and permanent.
None identified.
Minimise consumption of natural resources Policy TC1 provides for employment/ retail/ cultural/ leisure development within SSCTs and Other Towns from Policies A and B. Work undertaken by the Environment Agency suggests that development within these cities and towns can be served with water within local carrying capacity limits, although subject to investment in new resources and improved conservation. The supporting text under Sustainable Tourism includes strong reference to ensuring tourism is more sustainable, such as in resource use and sustainable construction.
These policies do not address consumption of natural resources with the exception of the supporting text for the tourism policies. The whole of this Section is premised on the basis of high levels of economic growth. Despite references to a low carbon economy in the supporting text, the overall strategy is likely to lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
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What improvements (e.g. mitigation, enhancement) could be made?
Policies E1-E5: Provision of employment sites
14.9. Policies E1 to E5 seek to ensure a ready supply of sites and buildings for employment uses in the South West in suitable locations, by prioritising land within the SSCTs in Policy A, then the other towns in Policy B. Therefore, the policies should contribute to a better balance between jobs, homes and services in the region, providing more employment opportunities, access to learning and training, and helping to minimise the need to travel. Local Authorities are encouraged to use the sequential test (from Annex D of the ODPM Employment Land Review guidance) when identifying sites, thus urban sites and previously developed land should be prioritised, contributing to the conservation and wise use of land.
14.10. Environmental impacts of employment development and use of natural resources are not addressed specifically in the policies. These issues are covered by the environmental policies in Section 7 of the draft RSS.
14.11. Access to employment sites by sustainable modes of transport (rail, bus, bike and foot) should be made an explicit consideration when identifying employment sites, including the strategic employment sites discussed in paragraph 8.3.5. The supporting text for Policies E1-E5 makes reference in para. 8.3.4 to Annex D of the ODPM Employment Land Review guidance, and Policy E2 refers to the sequential test from the guidance, but it could also refer to Annex E of the guidance, which lists the types of site appraisal criteria that should be considered when identifying employment land. The criteria include ‘proximity to rail, sea and air freight’ and ‘access by public transport’.
14.12. Policy E5 aims to safeguard waterside sites for social and economic uses which require a waterside location, giving priority to maritime industries, thus the economic potential of the coast should be harnessed. However, the policy does not refer to the potential impacts of these uses and industries on the marine environment or their potential vulnerability to sea level rise, flooding and changes in coastal dynamics due to climate change. Flood risk, coastal impacts and climate change are addressed elsewhere in the draft RSS.
14.13. Policy E2 is linked to Development Policies A, B and C, but otherwise there is little sense in the wording of the policies that make them South West specific. They offer a traditional approach to economic development based on the identification and review of employment sites. Given the emphasis within the draft RSS on the different roles and functions of settlements in the region, the different emphases for the three broad sub-regions identified in the Spatial Strategy Statement, it could be considered that there is a missed opportunity to reinforce this approach to economic activity in the policy wording itself, rather than in the supporting text.
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14.14. Stronger references are now included in the draft RSS with respect to the economy needing to respect environmental limits and meet the challenge of climate change, and the importance of a low carbon approach, although the importance of this issue could have been reinforced by including these priorities in the policy wording. The specific reference to “promoting good/best practice and opportunities for business relating to the region’s unique cultural and environmental assets, including sustainable construction, climate change, resource efficiency and environmental technologies” has now been deleted. The emphasis on high economic growth, access to competitive markets especially London, and airports as key economic drivers, are all likely to increase consumption of resources and greenhouse gas emissions.
14.15. The RES evidence base highlights issues relating to a low wage/low productivity/low skills occupations in parts of the region, particularly in some parts of inner urban areas, and the far south west. In parts of the region, such as the more rural western areas the inherent strengths are their remoteness, rurality, coastal proximity etc., which may lend themselves to different types of economic activity. In addition, there are many essential jobs that do not need high skill levels, and which may not necessarily be highly productive in GVA terms. The key aim should be to ensure that all jobs are valued and rewarding, and that all people have access to the essential requirements of quality of life, including a decent home, attractive living and working environments, and good quality community services.
14.16. Recommended improvements to this Section include:
• Recognise that some jobs, even though they may not be highly productive in GVA terms, may also be rewarding.
• Make stronger links between harnessing the economic benefits of the South West’s natural and cultural heritage, and supporting economic activity that helps to safeguard and maintain these assets.
• In rural areas, economic development that is compatible with a rural location, and that will secure or promote jobs for local people, could be encouraged where this can be shown to support the vitality and viability of rural communities, and reduce traffic including commuting.
• Economic development that is likely to generate significant increases in traffic should not be permitted.
• Make access to employment sites by sustainable modes of transport (rail, bus, bike and foot) a specific consideration when identifying employment sites, including the strategic employment sites.
• Encourage in policy wording economic development that results in local supply chains (currently in the supporting text), or a switch to freight by rail or water rather than road, to reinforce the approach set out in Section 5 of the draft RSS.
• Remove the reference to airports in E1 as air travel is particularly unsustainable.
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• Provide clearer guidance on the types, form and location of economic activity and development that is needed to cater for, and realise opportunities related to, an ageing and retired population.
• Place greater emphasis on delivering economic activity that is integrated with other land uses, including mix-use, and in particular to small-scale business.
• Provide guidance on how potential impacts of climate change (e.g. sea level rise, flood risk, coastal erosion) should be taken into account in determining the appropriateness of waterside employment.
• Offer greater support in the policies themselves to low carbon economic activity.
• Reinstate in the policy wording ‘promoting good/best practice and opportunities for business relating to the region’s unique cultural and environmental assets, including sustainable construction, climate change, resource efficiency and environmental technologies’.
Policy TC1: City and Town Centres
14.17. The retail, leisure and office needs will differ widely between the SSCTs and other towns within the region. Effective delivery of these policies and the benefits they may bring of meeting local needs locally, increasing the circulation of wealth within the region, improving accessibility to services and reducing the need to travel by car, will be very much dependent on the use of up-to-date evidence base of the needs and function of the town centres as required in Policy TC1 and support for local-based business. The role and function of places in the South West is discussed in Section 2 of the draft RSS, and Policy TC1 sits with within the overall spatial strategy set out in Sections 3 and 4, which attempt to address the diversity of towns and villages in the urban and rural areas of the region. The supporting text mentions the need to retain local retail, post office and other community services in rural villages, but this does not come through positively in Policy TC1 (reference in an earlier version of the draft RSS to avoiding harmful impacts, such as loss of retail services and facilities, on other centres including small towns and villages has now been deleted). Former Policy TC2, which aimed to improve accessibility by sustainable modes to city and town centres, has also been deleted, presumably because it is considered this is addressed in Section 5 of the draft RSS.
14.18. Improvements to Policy TC1 include:
• Despite the new reference to housing in the SSCTs, place greater emphasis on city and town centre living to make more efficient use of land (e.g. living over the shop). promote vibrancy and vitality out of normal shopping/office hours, and help to reduce the need to travel.
• Specifically encourage ‘accessibility by sustainable modes’ rather than just ‘accessibility’ for SSCTs.
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• Include specifically in the policy the need to ensure that town centre development enhances the feeling of safety.
• Reinstate in the policy wording the reference to avoiding harmful impacts on retail facilities and services in small towns and villages.
• Where smaller towns and villages (or networks of them) provide an alternative and more sustainable mix to meet the needs of local more rural populations, consider providing greater support where this is consistent with reducing the need to travel by car.
• Include specifically in the policy the need to ensure that town centre development enhances the quality of the townscapes and their historic assets.
• Ensure that the attractiveness of alternative modes of travel to the car more than offset traffic demand management measures in order to encourage continued use of town centre access.
• Encourage parking charges to be at least as high in out-of-town shopping centres as at any neighbouring town centre.
• Consider ‘not permitting’ major new regional centres outside of the City and Town Centres, rather than just ‘not supporting’.
Policies TO1, TO2 and TO3: Sustainable Tourism, Safeguarding and Investing in Tourism Destinations, and Development of Major New High Quality, High Profile Attractions
14.19. Policies TO1, TO2 and TO3 should contribute to improving health by improving access to recreation, leisure and cultural facilities for everyone in the region and contributing to regeneration/urban renaissance, which may help to improve local environments. Improving the accessibility of tourism attractions by public transport, cycling and walking, should also help to promote healthy lifestyles. However, achieving sustainable accessibility and reducing the need to travel are the last two measures for lessening the impact of tourism related development listed in the supporting text despite being the most important for sustainability.
14.20. Investing in sustainable tourism and improving the quality of its overall “offer” as discussed in the supporting text should help to promote stronger more vibrant communities and increase access to and participation in cultural activities, and satisfying work opportunities. Circulation of wealth within the region should be increased, particularly if improved tourism attractions encourage more people to holiday in the South West. The improvements to tourism in the South West could encourage more local residents to holiday in the region. The accessibility of these facilities by public transport needs to be improved and integrated with wider, intra- and inter-regional public transport routes, the need and desire to travel by car and air may not be reduced.
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14.21. Some of the region’s recognised tourism destinations and attractions include environmental assets such as landscapes and the coast as well as cultural and historic assets (e.g. AONBs, Heritage Coast and beaches, Stonehenge, Bath, Country Houses etc). Policy TO1 seeks improvements to regeneration/urban renaissance in coastal resorts, market towns and larger urban areas and now makes reference to realising the potential of the region’s environmental, cultural and heritage assets where this is consistent with their conservation.
14.22. Tourism does, however, bring pressures, for example on biodiversity, but the effects are difficult to judge. However, these are addressed by policies in Sections 1 and 7 of the draft RSS. There is no specific reference to wise use of land, flood risk or sea level rise, but these issues are also addressed in Sections 1 and 7 of the draft RSS.
14.23. The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is now included in the text. However, unless the accessibility of tourism facilities by public transport is improved and integrated with wider, intra- and inter-regional public transport routes (which Section 5 of the draft RSS aims to do), the need and desire to travel by car and air may not be reduced, thus neither will greenhouse emissions.
14.24. Water, minerals, waste and pollution are not mentioned in these policies. However, they are covered in Section 7 of the draft RSS, and the supporting text to Policies TO1 and TO2 includes sustainable use of resources and construction techniques as measures to lessen the impacts from tourism related development (although this should apply to all types of development in the region).
14.25. Improvements to these policies include:
• Consider the impacts and opportunities that climate change will have on tourism in the South West, and plan to minimise adverse effects and harness the benefits.
• Sustainable accessibility and reducing tourism related travel should be put first or incorporated into Policy TO1 by:
- promoting fewer, longer visits, rather than frequent, short breaks. - promoting closer markets (i.e. appealing to the local resident market). - coming by sustainable transport modes (i.e. sea, rail and
cycle/pedestrian travel needs to be more ‘joined up’). - travelling while in the SW by rail, bus, bike and on foot.
• Ensure that development relating to the Olympics does not cause adverse
environmental impacts, and that the benefits are long-term, well beyond the two-week period of the Olympics.
Policy CA1: Regional and Large Casinos
14.26. This is a new policy in the final draft RSS in response to the Government’s provision for new casinos in the Gambling Act 2005.
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14.27. The SSA has examined research undertaken in both the US and the UK, which has found that the negative impacts of a new regional casino are likely to be significant, and are likely to outweigh any benefits. Evidence in the US suggests that casinos cause significant increases in crime94. Research in the UK95 indicates that:
• The social costs of regional casino development are potentially high and, for most locations, would outweigh any economic benefit.
• Proposed regional casinos will, on balance, undermine Government targets on neighbourhood regeneration.
• Whilst significant jobs will be created by a casino, both long and short-term, many of these jobs are likely to be displaced from elsewhere in the leisure sector, that they may not match the needs of the local population, and there is strong evidence to suggest that many of the jobs will go to migrant workers.
• It is unclear how much spend will be retained locally, as any tax gains will be distributed nationally rather than locally.
• Many existing and competing businesses would be blighted or undermined by the presence of a regional casino.
14.28. Since the benefits of a regional or large casino are likely to be outweighed by the social and economic costs, it is recommended that:
• CA1 should be deleted from the draft RSS.
Conclusions 14.29. The evidence base developed for the review of the South West RES96, found
that:
• The economy of the region performs relatively well within the wider UK economy, but that its productivity (in GVA per head terms) remains below that of its competitors.
• The region has the lowest unemployment rate of all the UK regions.
• The region rates highly in terms of skills and innovation, in the progress of several key industries, and on measures of competitiveness and entrepreneurship.
• The natural and cultural attributes of the region give an important quality of life contribution to the region’s prosperity.
94 Casino Gambling Causes Crime. Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois, Volume 13 Number 2. Dr. Earl Grinols, Department of Economics, University of Illinois, 2000. 95 The Social and Economic Impacts of Regional Casinos in the UK. Hall Aitken Social & Economic Regeneration Consultants, February 2006. 96 Regional Economic Strategy for the South West of England, 2006-2015. Draft for Consultation. SWRDA, Septemebr 2005.
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• The region contributes less than any region to UK exports.
• Basic skills could be improved, particularly in certain areas of the major towns and cities.
• Economic connections between cities and towns and their rural hinterlands are not as strong as they might be.
• Intra-regional disparities are often greater than inter-regional ones, with businesses in the north and east of the region influenced by the more competitive dynamic competitive pressures of neighbouring regions than those further south and west.
14.30. The review of the RES considered three economic growth scenarios: tracking the trend of the wider UK economy (benchmark); maintaining the region’s recent relatively buoyant performance in the future (central view); improvement in relative performance through time (growth). SWRDA stated in the consultation draft of the revised RES that, if successfully implemented, it would be likely to produce the growth scenario.
14.31. The draft revised RES put forward a series of objectives and actions that aim to build successful and competitive businesses, strong and inclusive communities, and an effective and confident region. One of the key themes is that the economy has to be managed within environmental limits.
14.32. The draft revised RES provides a key reference point for the draft RSS, since the latter is required to give spatial expression to the RES, and both documents should complement one another.
14.33. The policies in Section 8 should also be seen within context of the Sustainable Development Policies SD1 to SD4 in Section 1 of the draft RSS, the overall spatial strategy and the Development Policies in Section 3, which promote sustainable development through planned mixed and balanced communities, the use of sustainable construction and previously developed land, and the strategic direction in the Sub Regional Strategy Statements in Section 4.
14.34. The SSA has found that there are likely to be many positive effects of the draft RSS economic policies on sustainability objectives, and that there are generally likely to be more positive effects than negative ones. This reflects many of the positive aspects of parts of the draft revised RES. However, there are also some sustainability issues arising too.
14.35. In many instances, the employment, town centre and tourism policies should result in some positive sustainability benefits for the South West by contributing to a better alignment of jobs, homes and services (a key guiding principle for the draft RSS in Policies SD1, SD2 and SD4) within the more significant cities and towns in the region. For more rural communities, the benefits are less clear.
14.36. However, the economic policies within the draft RSS, which follows the RES vision, still assume that GVA growth is a primary driver of wellbeing, and that the lower productivity in the western peninsula and peripherality are a
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problem to be overcome. There is a danger that emphasis on the connectivity and access to, and competition with, London, the South East, and global markets could increase consumption, greenhouse gases, air travel, and traffic.
14.37. Planning for the impacts and opportunities relating to climate change receives more attention than in earlier versions of the draft RSS, but the overall effects on greenhouse gas emissions of the approach to high economic growth and connectivity do not appear to have been fully considered. In addition, there are potential issues over the alignment of the growth in jobs and the delivery of homes (see Chapter 10 of the SSA Report).
14.38. Whilst the supporting text describes the characteristics of the South West economy, there is little sense in the policy wording, especially in Policies E1 to E4 (which are essentially about providing and managing land for employment uses), of how the economic development and activity relates to the overall Spatial Strategy and the Sustainable Development Principles that underpin the draft RSS.
14.39. There needs to be more recognition that different parts of the region have different potential (e.g. the growth of ICT and creative industries around the ‘West of England’, Bournemouth/Poole and Plymouth sub-regions97, versus the local smaller-scale economic networks of in Cornwall). Similarly, it may not be necessary to up-skill the whole of the region’s workforce to work in the knowledge economy when such skills may not be appropriate to all jobs in all locations.
14.40. Section 8, whilst now better grounded in the characteristics of the South West than earlier versions, could be further improved by restructuring policies more clearly around the overall approach in the Spatial Strategy, and providing a spatial dimension that focuses on strengthening the role and function of settlements in a sustainable way that reflects the different economic, environmental and social characteristics across the region. In doing so, it should look for ways that would make the South West economy more resilient to change and outside influences, for example by increasing the circulation of wealth in the region (an objective of the IRS).
14.41. The transport implications of the employment, town centre and tourism policies have been assessed in Chapter 11 of the SSA Report. The key recommendation in order to try and help to reduce the need and desire to travel by air or car, is for public transport systems from outside the region and within the region to be more integrated, and attractive to cyclists and pedestrians. In this way, visitors to the South West whether on holiday or business, should be able to arrive and travel around by sea, rail, bus, on cycle or by foot more easily. Reference to broadband and ICT technologies is welcomed as these represent more sustainable (and efficient) means of communication.
97 The Spatial Dynamics of Change in the Region’s Key Sectors. Final Report. Prepared for the South West of England Regional Development Agency by DTZ Pieda Consulting with Arthur D Little, 4 March 2005.
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14.42. Finally, the inclusion of a new Policy CA1 on regional and large casinos is questioned in sustainability terms as current research suggests that any positive benefits are likely to be outweighed by negative social and economic effects. More benign forms of economic development activity should be pursued in order to ensure that the South West’s economy is placed on a more sustainable footing in the long-term.
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15. SECTION 9 OF THE DRAFT RSS: ADDRESSING DEPRIVATION AND DISADVANTAGE TO REDUCE INTRA-REGIONAL INEQUALITIES
INTRODUCTION 15.1. Section 9 of the draft RSS aims to provide focus, and identify spatial priorities for,
addressing deprivation and disadvantage in the South West. This is set in the context of the review of European Convergence policy, and future EU enlargement. The Section is divided into the following components:
• Addressing intra-regional disparities.
• Supporting strong and inclusive communities and identifying spatial priority areas for concerted investment and action.
What does the draft RSS section say? 15.2. While quality of life in the South West is generally high, it is recognised that clusters
of deprivation exist in the region. Section 9 identifies a notable ‘gradient’ from the north and east of the region towards the south and west in terms of generally lower productivity and earnings and increasing levels of multiple deprivation.
15.3. Section 9.1 describes intra-regional disparities and discusses the approach the draft RSS will take to tackling them. Section 9.2 identifies means of supporting strong and inclusive communities and presents the approach to identifying spatial priority areas for ‘concerted investment and action’. The final part of this Section of the draft RSS sets out the ‘Statement of Priorities for Addressing Deprivation and Disadvantage in the South West’.
1.3. The statement of priorities supports the Spatial Strategy and aims to tackle deprivation and disadvantage by focusing economic development on the larger cities and towns, while ensuring links/connections are such that benefits are widespread. Rural renaissance in the rural priority districts is to address need arising from problems with accessibility to jobs and services and affordability of housing.
What are the likely effects on the SSA headline objectives? 15.4. This section does not contain a policy, but a Statement of Priorities. Therefore
Section 9 of the draft RSS has been appraised as a whole (highlighted Statement and supporting text) in the detailed appraisal matrix in Appendix B9, and the effects are summarised below under the SSA high level objectives.
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health It is likely that the statement will have an indirect positive effect on improving health. Addressing deprivation should result in long term health benefits throughout the region, and possibly reduce health
None specifically identified.
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Positive effects Negative effects inequalities if opportunities are improved in the most deprived parts of the region. Support communities that meet people’s needs A long term indirect effect of prioritising investment and action into urban and rural renaissance should be the promotion of stronger and more vibrant communities. Improvements addressing housing affordability in addition to accessibility to jobs and services are noted as key rural renaissance objectives in the statement, but not in urban areas. The supporting text in Section 9 recognises that educational attainment, skills and training are key factors of deprivation, which the statement is intending to tackle.
None specifically identified.
Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs Improved access to satisfying work opportunities is a possible long term indirect effect, but cannot be guaranteed at this scale. This is more likely when considered alongside Section 10. The statement aims to tackle income inequality and reduce poverty. This depends significantly on the quality and integration of the economic and (sustainable) transport links between areas where economic activity and regeneration is to be focussed, and the deprived areas. The effects on reducing poverty and income inequality, and helping everyone to afford a comfortable standard of living are likely to be direct impacts which would arise in the medium to long-term.
None specifically identified.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Improved connectivity, economic stimulation, and employment opportunities may reduce the need to travel to work, as a long term indirect effect in some areas currently experiencing high numbers of long travel to work journeys. However, it is uncertain if this would result in a reduction in car travel.
Improving connectivity between prosperous urban and some of the deprived rural areas could make rural areas even more attractive for commuters to live in.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets It is likely that a short term, but permanent direct impact of urban renaissance initiatives would include townscape improvements.
The possibility of making deprived rural areas more attractive to commuters may have the potential to negatively impact local distinctiveness and rural ways of life. This may not be the case if rural renaissance was built on the existing strengths of deprived areas (such as cultural and historical or landscape assets).
Minimise consumption of natural resources None specifically identified. The proposed level of new
development is likely to have a direct impact on the
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Positive effects Negative effects consumption of resources. Policies elsewhere in the draft RSS aim to mitigate this, but may be difficult to achieve.
What improvements (e.g. mitigation, enhancement) could be made? 15.5. The statement assumes that linking successful areas with less successful ones will
ensure that deprived communities benefit from wider economic prosperity. For this to be successful from a sustainability perspective, the ‘connectivity’ will need to boost peripheral economies rather than ‘suck’ economic activity out, and should not lead to additional movement of people. The importance of tackling multiple deprivation at the neighbourhood level should not be underestimated, as this is most likely to be an approach which ensures economic growth is consistent with local needs. Section 10 includes emphasis on the importance of quality of life factors and addressing social as well as economic needs. This could also be included in Section 9.
15.6. Proposals for development have implications for increased resource consumption, and increasing the ‘ecological footprint’ of the region. It is essential that these implications are mitigated by policies elsewhere in the draft RSS (for example through those in Sections 1, 3 and 7).
15.7. Aspects that could be improved include the following:
• Affordable housing should also be a key part of the urban economic development, regeneration and neighbourhood renewal approach.
• In rural areas, emphasise the importance of creating jobs that are most relevant to the rural economy.
• Emphasise the importance of quality of life factors and addressing social, as well as economic needs.
• Make specific reference to promoting access to jobs and services locally, and without the need to use a car (e.g. through walking, cycling, public transport).
Conclusions 15.8. Highlighting the need to reduce deprivation and inequalities in the region is a
fundamental principle of sustainability, and therefore is to be welcomed. The emphasis on economic growth and improved competitiveness should bring some sustainability benefits. However, GVA per capita is only one measure of deprivation and does not necessarily equate to well-being. Most important is access to rewarding employment, which may not necessarily be highly productive. Local access to good services, high quality living, working and recreational environments, and housing that people can afford are also essential ingredients in tackling deprivation. The emphasis on increasing incomes may have some benefits in affording a comfortable standard of living. On the other hand, increased disposable incomes can also lead to knock-on effects, such as increases in house prices and rising traffic as ownership of cars
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increases. This can disadvantage those who are not in employment (including the retired reliant on state pensions), or who do not have access to a car.
15.9. The creation of jobs that are local, and relevant to the strengths of different parts of the region, may be of most help. There will always be a need for a wide variety of employment opportunities, not all of which will be high-skilled but nonetheless important to successful local economic and social vitality. One of the key aspects, therefore, is to ensure that all jobs are appropriately valued and rewarded, according to their contribution to sustainable communities. The RES has a particularly important role to play in this respect, but this also should be acknowledged in the RSS.
15.10. Overall, the emphasis in the statement on joint-working and recognition that deprivation should be tackled at a number of levels is to be commended. It is important to ensure that means of tackling deprivation do not focus too much on economic competitiveness at the expense of improving grassroots quality of life factors.
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16. SECTION 10 OF THE DRAFT RSS: ENSURING PEOPLE ARE TREATED FAIRLY AND CAN PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY
INTRODUCTION 16.1. Section 10 of the draft RSS aims to ensure that RSS policies are representative of all
of the region’s communities and to facilitate a strategy from which all can benefit.
What does the draft RSS section say? 16.2. The Section discusses the issues of social exclusion, poverty and deprivation in the
region and the consequences this has for potential growth and the opportunity for all to share in its success.
16.3. Section 10.1 presents the view that effectively delivering equality of opportunity for all sectors of the community is essential to the long term success of the region. It also suggests the approach local authorities can take towards ensuring this, and is summarised in Policy SI1. Recognition of the value of diversity and local distinctiveness and the need for this to be integral to community development is outlined in Policy SI2.
16.4. Section 10.2 outlines the consultation approach taken throughout the drafting of the RSS, and calls for an active, inclusive and creative approach to consultation on policy and delivery to be pursued by all regional partners.
16.5. In this final version of the draft RSS, the policy concerning gypsies and travellers has been moved to Section 6. This recommendation was made in the Draft Final SSA Report on version 2.3 of the draft RSS. Appraisal of this policy can be found in Chapter 12 of this Final SSA Report.
What are the likely effects on the SSA headline objectives? 16.6. The appraisal matrices to accompany the following analysis of Section 7 policies can
be found in Appendix B10.
Positive effects Negative effects Improve health Recognition of the health needs of disadvantaged groups is a likely indirect medium-long term effect of Policies SI1 and SI2. This may go some way to reducing health inequalities.
None specifically identified.
Support communities that meet people’s needs Access to appropriate housing for disadvantaged groups may be improved by the Policies SI1 and SI2, as diversity and equality is required to be considered at the early stage of LDD development through Equality Impact Assessments.
None specifically identified.
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Positive effects Negative effects Improved access to learning, training and knowledge may be an indirect impact of the policies, as communities learn about the planning and participation process, and are given the means with which to ‘participate in society’. Increasing feelings of ownership and participation could, in the long term indirectly contribute to stronger and more vibrant communities. Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs The policies aim to ensure all members of society benefit from growing prosperity. If implemented successfully at the local level, these have the potential to improve standards of living, reduce poverty and increase the circulation of wealth within the region in a way which is consistent with local needs. A commitment to wider participation is likely to promote more local representation, and improve the likelihood of skills development to enable local needs to be met within the local community itself.
None specifically identified.
Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment Access to basic services may be improved for those currently suffering from social exclusion. This is particularly likely through policy SI1.
None specifically identified.
Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets The commitment to ensure the needs of all groups in society are met is likely to be beneficial in the long term for more isolated rural communities. Diversity and local distinctiveness are recognised in the section as assets. This is reinforced through Policy SI2.
None specifically identified.
Minimise consumption of natural resources None specifically identified. None specifically identified.
What improvements (e.g. mitigation, enhancement) could be made? 16.7. The objectives of Section 10 and the role of engagement in the drafting of the RSS
are consistent with ensuring the sustainability of the RSS. The engagement process must be thoroughly implemented at the local level to ensure all members of society have the opportunity to participate.
16.8. There is one outstanding recommendation:
• An additional policy specifically about consultation may help to reinforce the importance of engaging with local people in planning the future of their own communities.
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Conclusions 16.9. The inclusion of Equality Impact Assessments to Policy SI1, and the requirement for
Local Authorities to recognise that development and transport policies do not affect everyone in the same way, has improved the draft RSS.
16.10. The recognition in the draft RSS that equality and diversity must be seen as a key regional asset has also improved the extent to which the draft RSS can recognise and protect local distinctiveness.
16.11. The effects of the policies are predominantly positive in relation to the sustainability objectives. The promotion of widespread consultation and engagement in the planning process should have an overall positive impact on the sustainability of all policies and development in the region. The policies and supporting text outline practical means for implementation, which will be a crucial determinant of success in delivering the sustainability benefits identified. This section is a fundamental element of Sustainable Communities (Policy SD4) and the principles intended should underpin the RSS as a whole.
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17. OVERALL EFFECTS OF THE DRAFT RSS
INTRODUCTION 17.1. Chapters 7 to 16 of the SSA Report have set out the detailed findings of the SSA as
they relate to each of the individual sections of the draft RSS. This Chapter draws together these findings into an overall summary of the effects of the draft RSS on the SSA objectives.
Cumulative effects 17.2. The SEA Directive requires that secondary, cumulative, and synergistic effects
(collectively referred to as ‘cumulative’ effects) be considered as part of the assessment process. This overall summary is based on the effects of the draft RSS as a whole, taking into account existing trends in the region, national policy, planning controls, and the influence of and relationship with other regional plans, programmes and strategies. It effectively looks at how the policies of the draft RSS are likely to interact with one another, and external factors, during implementation. It therefore provides a cumulative assessment of the draft RSS policies.
OVERALL EFFECTS OF THE DRAFT RSS 17.3. In summarising the overall effects, there is likely to be a difference between what the
draft RSS aspires to achieve, and what it is actually able to achieve based on past experience and the planning controls, mechanisms and resources available to planning authorities.
17.4. For example, the draft RSS includes four very strong sustainability principles (Policies SD1 to SD4) to guide the spatial strategy. If these are applied so that all development is in accordance with these principles, and that any development that conflicts with these principles is not permitted, then the draft RSS will have made a major contribution to sustainable development, and the SSA would have recorded significant positive effects throughout.
17.5. However, the scale and pace of growth that is proposed in the draft RSS, as well as some of the other policies that are included in the draft RSS, suggest that it will be difficult to deliver development that is in accordance with the principles set out in Policies SD1 to SD4. This is not to say that the principles will not have an effect in improving the sustainability performance of the region. They are important principles and statements of intent, and if applied with rigour they should make a significant difference. But it is unlikely that, on their own, they will be able to decouple the link between growth and impacts.
17.6. In many areas the draft RSS has gone as far as it can (and in many cases further) than could be considered to be the legitimate scope of an RSS in an attempt to address some of these issues, without changes in national policy. However, there are other aspects where further changes could be made to increase the likelihood of the draft RSS achieving sustainable outcomes, which have been highlighted throughout this SSA Report.
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17.7. One of the aspects where the tensions will be most apparent is in delivering the sub regional strategies, as presented in section 4 of the draft RSS. The SSA of the sub-regional strategies relied to a large extent on the results of the SSAs undertaken as part of the work by the Joint Study Areas who were asked to prepare their own SSA Reports. This work found that the sub regional strategies are generally all aiming to make suitable housing available that is affordable and deliver the growth and jobs that will support this population (whilst minimising the need to travel), along with the services and infrastructure they will need. They generally perform well in terms of sustainability against the objectives to make suitable housing available and affordable for everyone and giving access to work opportunities. However, there are inevitably uncertainties connected with the actually delivery of jobs and homes, affordability and the timing of the provision of infrastructure and services, etc. and the SSA process has also highlighted some potential sustainability issues associated with the levels of growth and housing proposed in some of the sub regions:
• Increase in traffic and congestion – potentially an issue for all of the sub regions. A key factor will be the successful and timely achievement of a modal shift from cars to public transport, cycling and walking. Negative environmental impacts (e.g. accommodating increased traffic) are likely as a result of major road improvements (these are included in the strategies for the following sub regions / settlements: West of England, Cheltenham and Gloucester, Exeter, Taunton, South East Dorset, Plymouth, Torbay and Cornish Towns).
• Development of airports – increased capacity and infrastructure improvements are proposed at several of the region’s airports as they are seen as important economic drivers. However, although there may be positive benefits in terms of job creation, there are likely to be negative effects on the environment as discussed elsewhere in the SSA (expansion / improvements are proposed at the following airports: Bristol, Exeter, Bournemouth, Plymouth and Newquay).
• Protecting important heritage, landscape and nature conservation interest – growth in several of the sub regions is constrained by the proximity of internationally or nationally important areas of heritage, landscape and nature conservation interest and the pressures growth may put upon them. Development will need to be carefully planned in these areas to ensure any negative effects are avoided (e.g. Weston super Mare, South East Dorset, Bath, Taunton, Plymouth, Exeter, Cheltenham and Gloucester, Torbay and Cornwall Towns). In South East Dorset, in particular, this will be an overriding constraint on the expansion of the existing urban areas.
• Managing flood risk – with the context of a changing climate and sea level rise, flood risk management is a relevant issue for all the sub regions (including coastal, fluvial and surface water flooding). In most cases the risks can be managed through the appropriate location and design of development and the provision of infrastructure, but it is important to highlight that certain locations are more vulnerable and there could be significant implications in the future if this is not appropriately addressed (flood risk is potentially a significant issue for the following sub regions / settlements: Weston super Mare, South East Dorset, Cheltenham and Gloucester, Taunton, Exeter, Swindon, Poole, Torbay and
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Cornish Towns). Policies in Section 7 of the draft RSS aim to ensure that flood risk is properly taken into account.
• Water resources and waste water treatment and disposal – in certain settlements in the region, environmental and treatment constraints present a potential issue for their growth. It may be possible to provide the necessary sewage infrastructure, but this is likely to present challenges in some locations (e.g. Swindon, Falmouth/Truro, Salisbury and Cheltenham). Accommodating development within local limits of water resources is an issue for all the sub regions, but a particular challenge in Swindon. Policy RE6 in the draft RSS aims to ensure that rates of planned development do not exceed the capacity of existing water supply and waste water systems, and that development does not proceed ahead of essential planned improvements to these systems.
17.8. There are uncertainties associated with the above issues and effects, but they are considered sufficiently significant to warrant highlighting them as concerns. However, if the sub regional strategies are delivered following the principles in SD1 to SD4 (and other criteria-based policies included in the draft RSS) then it could be possible to satisfactorily address some of these concerns.
17.9. The summary of the effects of the draft RSS in Table 1 has been prepared on the basis of what is considered to be the likely effects of its implementation. It is difficult to be precise about what the effects will be. The assessment is therefore on the basis of a combination of professional judgement, experience of past, current and likely future trends, technical studies undertaken to inform the preparation of the draft RSS, and recognition of what the draft RSS aims to achieve. Comments marked in bold represent changes in our assessment arising as a result of amendments to the draft RSS between Version 2.3 and the final draft RSS.
17.10. The overall effects of the draft RSS are summarised in Table 17.1 under the SSA Framework Headline Objectives and Questions.
Table 17.1: Summary of overall effects of the draft RSS Detailed question: Will the draft RSS…
Overall Score
Comments
SSA High Level Objective 1: Improve health Improve health? ++/- The emphasis within the draft RSS on improving the quality
of development, particularly in urban areas, and investment in health care facilities should bring positive benefits. One of the primary determinants of health is employment – as the draft RSS aims to deliver the opportunities for the creation of jobs, this will also be of benefit. This is more clearly acknowledged in the final draft RSS. In addition, the final draft RSS acknowledges the capacity of new development to influence the health of the population living within it, and that regular participation in cultural activities enhances health. It therefore includes policies that aim to
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Detailed question: Will the draft RSS…
Overall Score
Comments
deliver well planned mixed use developments, and includes a specific new policy (HE3) that requires Health Impact Assessments in support of development. Conversely, the inclusion of a new policy (CA1) on regional and large casinos could be bad for health. The reduction of congestion in the SSCTs should help to reduce pollution in the urban areas. There may be some adverse effects for those who are most affected by the impact of development during construction. The effects on more rural communities is uncertain.
Reduce health inequalities?
+ There is considerable emphasis in the draft RSS on addressing deprivation and disadvantage, which are often associated with poor health. The draft RSS requires that health care facilities should be accessible by public transport, foot and bike, which should help those without access to a car. However, this may be difficult to achieve in more deprived rural communities.
Promote healthy lifestyles, especially routine daily exercise?
+ Healthy lifestyles should be encouraged by the emphasis on providing sport and green infrastructure, which should enable both formal and informal recreation to take place. Encouragement is given to walking and cycling, rather than use of the car, which should also help, and public transport to a lesser extent.
SSA High Level Objective 2: Support communities that meet people’s needs Help make suitable housing available and affordable for everyone?
+ This is a major theme within the draft RSS, and is supported not only by the scale of housing provision (up to 23,060 dwellings per annum), but also by the emphasis on affordable housing. Due to the reduction in total dwellings per annum for the region from 25,000 to between 22,895 and 23,060 in the final draft RSS, the overall sustainability score has been reduced from ‘++’ (for Version 2.3 of the draft RSS) to ‘+’ as it may mean that affordable housing targets could be more difficult to achieve. It nonetheless remains a positive score because a significant contribution will still be made, and should be more likely given that the overall dwellings to be provided will be greater than that planned for in the adopted RPG10 (which included provision for 20,200 dwellings per annum between 1996 and 2016). The extent to which ‘everyone’ will have access to suitable and affordable housing is difficult to assess. This is dependent upon a number of factors beyond just the provision of housing (e.g. incomes of prospective buyers), but the draft RSS aims to make significant in-roads into bringing the balance between housing supply and demand more into line. One of the challenges will be deliverability, particularly in areas of highest need where the target for
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Detailed question: Will the draft RSS…
Overall Score
Comments
the provision of affordable housing is 60% of total housing. Give everyone access to learning, training, skills and knowledge?
+ The draft RSS includes a number of policies that aim to improve access to education and skills training. This is most likely to benefit those living in (or with access to public transport) the SSCTs and towns falling under Development Policy B. Access in more rural communities is less certain.
Reduce crime and fear of crime?
+ The effects depend on the success of other policies that aim to build ‘sustainable communities’. The amount of change, including in-migration, that will happen could cause some issues regarding social cohesion, which crime could feed off. Designing-out crime is mentioned in Policy SD4, and is now specifically mentioned in Development Policy G. Policy CA1 on regional and large casinos could increase crime.
Promote stronger more vibrant communities?
+/- Mixed effects are likely to occur. There is considerable emphasis on building sustainable communities, particularly with respect to the SSCTs, and more deprived communities. However, the scale of change may lead to some problems with social cohesion, and the focus on the SSCTs may mean that some rural communities continue to lose facilities and services, despite Development Policies B and C which give particular emphasis to the role and function of market towns, small towns and villages in helping to determine appropriate development. Policy CA1 could cause social issues around gambling addiction.
Increase access to and participation in cultural activities?
++ Improved provision and access to cultural facilities is a theme in a number of policies in the draft RSS, and is the specific focus of Policies LCF1 and C1. Deliverability will be the challenge given competing priorities on funds generated through development.
SSA High Level Objective 3: Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs Give everyone in the region access to satisfying work opportunities, paid or unpaid?
++/? The draft RSS aims to provide the spatial conditions that will enable the creation of between 365,000 and 465,000 jobs in the South West 2006-2026, although the implication of the population growth (750,000 over the same period) is that many of these jobs will go to new arrivals to the region. There is considerable emphasis on skills development, business productivity, prosperity and competitiveness, which could benefit a large number of people in the region. It is not clear how those people in the region who are interested in pursuing work that is not so linked to the competitive economy agenda, but offer different rewards in terms of job satisfaction, will be catered for. Whilst there is a focus on developing the skills and general capacity of low wage/low productivity/low skill occupations in both urban and rural
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Detailed question: Will the draft RSS…
Overall Score
Comments
locations, the extent to which this will be realised in practice is difficult to determine, given the overall growth in the labour supply arising from net in-migration. The majority of jobs are forecast to be created in the SSCTs, but the majority of people currently live outside the SSCTs, which could raise issues regarding local access to jobs in more rural areas and continued commuting. The draft RSS aims to create a better balance between jobs and homes, which means a focus of development on the SSCTs.
Help everyone afford a comfortable standard of living?
+/- This may be achieved if higher productivity leads to higher incomes. However, this in turn could lead to increases in the price of some goods and services (e.g. housing) as a result of greater purchasing power. Those who are not able to, or do not wish to, participate in the high productivity, high competitiveness economy, may become more disadvantaged as a result.
Reduce poverty and income inequality?
? The draft RSS includes a range of policy guidance to deal with the issue of reducing poverty and income equality. A key component in the approach is to aim to deliver wider benefits of the growth strategy, including linking successful areas with less successful ones, and connecting cities and towns with their surrounding areas so that more people can contribute to and benefit from the region’s economic prosperity. Given that there are often quite distinct social and sometimes physical barriers between communities of different backgrounds, and that patterns of deprivation in the region are quite entrenched, this will be a challenge to achieve. Part of the solution in the draft RSS is to help provide the conditions that will ‘upskill’ more deprived and less competitive communities in the South West, and improve access to housing, better environments, and jobs, especially in the SSCTs. Outside the SSCTs, especially where attractive, reliable, and frequent public transport is difficult to provide, this may be a challenge to achieve without greater emphasis on more local, community-based solutions.
Meet local needs locally?
+/- Mixed effects are likely to result from the draft RSS. Section 8 of the final draft RSS now includes specific reference to the importance of regional sourcing and stimulating local markets. In addition, the emphasis on ‘sustainable communities’, and the provision of affordable housing, education, health, culture, sport and green infrastructure, as well as walking, cycling and public transport are all likely to create the conditions that mean that more needs can be met locally. However, these benefits are most likely to accrue to the SSCTs. The improvements to the strategic road network, despite their emphasis on ‘reliability and resilience’ rather than traffic growth, could well encourage car use, undermining the
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achievement of this objective. Increase the circulation of wealth within the region?
? It is difficult to tell from the draft RSS whether it will lead to increased circulation of wealth within the region. This reflects the tension inherent in the draft RSS between aiming to bring into closer alignment homes and jobs, and promotion of settlement self-containment, with the relationship between productivity and time/distance from key economic hubs, especially London, and access to global markets, all of which are dependent upon movements of people, goods and services. The approach based on the role and function of settlements could strengthen internal linkages within the region’s economy.
Harness the economic potential of the coast in a sustainable way?
+/? The coast is directly dealt with in Policy CO1 and a new Policy CO2, and there are a number of other policies that relate to the coast, including flood risk (Policy F1), Ports (TR7), and sustainable tourism (TO1-TO3). In addition, a number of the settlements in the sub-regional section of the draft RSS are on or close to the coast. However, how the economic potential of their coastal locations will be developed in a sustainable way is not always obvious. Some, such as Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, make clear references to the need to ‘manage economic opportunities against strong environmental assets’. For Weymouth, on the other hand, reference is made to the opportunities arising from the Olympics and Paralympics sailing events. Although links are made with the Jurassic Coast, quality of life, marine industries, and providing a legacy of infrastructure and communities, it is not clear how these can all be brought together in a sustainable way. Policy CO2 in the final draft RSS has been added to provide more guidance to coastal authorities to coordinate development plans, Shoreline Management Plans and support the sustainable planning and management of coastal areas. The need to adapt to the effects of climate change on the coast in the sub-regional section is rarely mentioned, where a clear steer might have been expected.
Reduce vulnerability of the economy to climate change and harness opportunities arising?
+/- Policy SD2 addresses directly the need to adapt to climate change. A new paragraph has been added to the beginning of Section 8 in the draft final RSS, recognising that the economy needs to meet the challenge of climate change and maximise the opportunities arising from climate change impacts. There is also a reference to the potential impacts of climate change on the tourism industry. However, the vulnerability of the economy to climate change could be increased given the emphasis on competing in global markets, connectivity, etc.
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SSA High Level Objective 4: Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to communities and the environment Reduce the need/desire to travel by car?
++/-- There is considerable emphasis in the draft RSS on achieving modal shift from cars to public transport, cycling and walking, through a combination of significant investment in such modes, networks, and services, coupled with the encouragement of demand management measures (Policy TR1). This is supported by the overall theme in the draft RSS of achieving a better alignment between jobs, homes and services. This approach is particularly focused on the SSCTs, and should provide considerable opportunities to reduce both the need and the desire to travel by car, at least in these locations. However, this could be offset by a number of road improvements in the sub-regional sections of the draft RSS, and references to Park & Ride. Elsewhere, the emphasis is on improving the ‘reliability and resilience’ of the strategic transport network (both road and rail) to support intra and inter-regional connectivity. Where these relate to road improvements, the most significant of which is the achievement of a dual carriageway standard second strategic route into the South West (A303/A358), this is likely to make travel by car more attractive, both on this route and the M4/M5 as overall capacity is increased (although policy TR2 does seek a complimentary package of measures to manage the demand for travel on the M4/M5). This could partially be offset by the proposed improvements to the inter-regional rail network, although the capacity of this network to cope with additional demand is limited, even after such investments. The sub-regional section of the draft RSS includes provision for a number of road schemes (e.g. new links to the motorway network, motorway junction improvements, new link roads, new and improved distributor roads, corridor improvements, road links to airports, improvements to the A30 strategic spine road, a new River Avon crossing, etc.). Cumulatively, these will make travel by car more attractive, despite complementary improvements to public transport, cycling and walking, and in some locations demand management measures. In more rural locations, Development Policies B and C aim to guide development to locations that will maintain and develop sustainable transport modes, or where they do not significantly increase traffic on local roads. There is little mention of sustainable transport and access issues in more rural areas within Section 5 (Transport) of the draft RSS. Overall, therefore, and taking national transport policy into account, the policies are highly unlikely to lead to a reduction in car traffic. As a result, there are likely to be
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both significant positive effects (for the measures that aim to encourage a switch to more sustainable modes and shorter journeys) and significant negative effects (because of the number and extent of improvements to both the strategic and local road networks).
Reduce the need/desire to travel by air?
-- The context for the development and expansion of airports is set by central Government through the Aviation White Paper. This anticipates, and aims to accommodate, significant growth in air travel. The policies in the draft RSS reflect this. Firstly, they aim to secure a switch to the use of airports in the South West for air travel that would otherwise be from/to airports outside the region, particularly Heathrow. Secondly, airports are seen as an important economic driver for the region, and therefore development associated with the airports is encouraged. The combination of these factors means that air travel will increase significantly.
Help everyone to access basic services easily, safely, and affordably?
++/- There is considerable emphasis on the provision of basic services, and access to them by sustainable modes, particularly in the SSCTs (followed through in the sub-regional section of the draft RSS), but also to a lesser extent within settlements that meet the criteria set out in Development Policies B and C. For policy C, there is also reference to outreach delivery of services. However, given the emphasis on the SSCTs, it may be difficult to stem the loss of services in some smaller rural settlements.
Make public transport, cycling and walking easier and more attractive?
++/- The draft RSS aims to achieve modal shift. Given the policies in the draft RSS, and the ‘critical mass’ of population, this is most likely to be achieved in the SSCTs. Rail and potentially bus/coach services are also likely to become more attractive for some longer journeys. They will have to compete with the continuing attractiveness of using the car arising from improvements to the strategic road network and capacity barriers on the rail network. There may be an improvement in the attractiveness of public transport, walking and cycling in towns falling under Development Policy B, but this is less certain. In other locations, it is unlikely that there will be an improvement significant enough to make a major difference.
Encourage a switch from transporting freight by road to rail or water?
+/- Policies TR7, TR8 and TR13 encourage the use of ports and rail freight interchange facilities (plus in some of the sub-regional policies, such as at Tavistock), but overall the draft RSS is unlikely to achieve a significant switch from road to rail or water. TR12 aims to promote the strategic network for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) rather than local roads. The supporting text does refer to the development of local supply chains and locating developments that generate high volumes of freight movements close to rail or water freight facilities.
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SSA High Level Objective 5: Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets Protect and enhance habitats and species (taking account of climate change)?
? Certain habitats and species are ‘protected’ through international and national legislation. PPS9 ‘Biodiversity & Geological Conservation’ provides further national policy guidance. The draft RSS provides the regional policy context through policies ENV1 and ENV4 supported by Policies SD3, SD4 and GI 1. Taken together these represent a strong statement on the need to protect and enhance the biodiversity of the region. However, past evidence suggests that development and associated infrastructure has led to increasingly fragmented habitats even though designated habitats may not be so directly affected. As a result the overall biodiversity resource continues to be eroded. Despite the legal and policy safeguards at international, national and regional level, it is not possible to state with confidence whether habitats and species in the region will be protected and enhanced. This is because of the scale and pace of development proposed in the draft RSS, which could put pressure on the wider biodiversity resource, and the often close proximity of some of the major locations of growth (e.g. Bournemouth, Exeter, Plymouth) to particularly sensitive habitats. Indirect effects, such as people pressure, may also erode the biodiversity value, as well as the direct effects of development. The inclusion of support for the South West Nature Map and green infrastructure should help to offset some of the effects on wider biodiversity.
Promote the conservation and wise use of land?
+/- The draft RSS requires that housing densities should exceed 30 dwellings per hectare in all parts of the region, that averages across housing market areas will be in excess of 40 dwellings per hectare, and that the density of housing at the SSCTs, including urban extensions, should be at least 50 dwellings per hectare. Although these densities are higher than has been experienced in recent years, draft PPS3 suggests that these densities could be even higher given that most of the development is to be located in or adjacent to the SSCTs. The draft RSS requires that best and most versatile agricultural land needs to be taken into account alongside other sustainability considerations. This is important as it is a resource for current and future generations, which once lost to development is difficult to recover. Sustainable land management in general is encouraged in Section 7 of the draft RSS and a new policy (RE7) has been added to the final draft RSS seeking to promote an integrated approach to sustainable land management. The brownfield land target for housing development is at least 50%. Given the relative shortage of brownfield land in the region, compared to many other regions in the country, it is likely
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that a considerable amount of development (including employment, infrastructure, and community services, etc.) will be on greenfield land. The SSA has calculated that this is likely to represent an increase in the built-up land area in the region of 5%. This represents a significant permanent change of use, and a general continuation in the loss of greenfield land to development, and could suggest that densities should be even higher within urban areas, in developments close to public transport nodes, and in urban extensions than is proposed in the draft RSS.
Protect and enhance landscape and townscape?
? There are a number of policies in the draft RSS that aim to protect and enhance the landscapes and townscapes of the region, including Policies ENV1, ENV2 and ENV3. Development Policy E aims to ensure the highest possible standards of design of all development in urban and rural settings. These are positive policies in their own right. However, the scale and pace of development (the delivery of around 460,000 dwellings and between 365,000 and 465,000 jobs, plus associated infrastructure) means that it is highly likely that the character of a large number of locations will change significantly. Ultimately this is a subjective judgement, but given current planning controls, and volume building methods, it is possible that this could be significantly adverse in some locations. This may not always be the case. For example, the emphasis in the draft RSS on improving urban environments could lead to some significant positive effects.
Value and protect diversity and local distinctiveness including rural ways of life?
+ Policy ENV1 aims to protect and enhance the quality, character, diversity and local distinctiveness of the natural and historic environment. Settlements outside the SSCTs are dealt with in Development Policies B and C, and to a certain extent in the sub-regional section of the draft RSS. Sustainable communities in general are addressed in Policy SD4, and recognition of the overall diversity of the region is covered by the Spatial Strategy Statement. There is reference in the supporting text of Section 8 of the final draft RSS to the economy of rural areas and supporting businesses in rural areas where they secure jobs for local people, improve the viability of rural communities, and are based in accessible locations avoiding pressures on local environments and roads. A new Policy E1 has been included in Section 8 to address the need to meet local requirements for business expansion and inward investment. There is now greater emphasis on the role and functions of market towns, small towns and villages in Development Policies B and C, which improves the assessment compared with Version 2.3 of the draft RSS.
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Maintain and enhance cultural and historical assets?
++/- Cultural and historic assets are addressed in a range of policies throughout the draft RSS, including Policies LCF1, C1, ENV5. National planning policy also provides guidance on historic and archaeological assets. Despite this, given the scale of development, it is likely that there will be some loss or erosion of historic assets, including locally valued landscapes, landmarks and features.
Reduce vulnerability to flooding, sea level rise (taking account of climate change)?
? Sea level is estimated to rise by 5mm per year in the South West, which will increase the likelihood of coastal flooding in the future (e.g. by 2080s the Environment Agency estimates that Poole Harbour could have an increased likelihood of flooding of over thirty times the 2002 expected frequency). Fluvial flooding is likely to increase due to climate change. Exposed shorelines are also vulnerable to wave action. The Environment Agency is examining flood risk at potential development locations. Work to date suggests that, in a number of locations flood risk could be an issue (e.g. Taunton, Swindon), but could be resolvable. Until the results of more detailed work are known, it is not possible to determine whether vulnerability will be reduced. Policy F1 aims to guide development away from floodplains, areas at risk of flooding or likely to be at risk in future from flooding, or increase the risk of flooding elsewhere.
SSA High Level Objective 6: Minimise consumption of natural resources Reduce non-renewable energy consumption and ‘greenhouse’ emissions?
++/-- Policy SD2 in the final draft RSS sets a more and highly challenging target for the reduction of the region’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions (a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2026 compared with 1990 levels, which was a 20% target in Version 2.3 of the draft RSS). The emphasis on a low carbon economy is also an improvement (Policy SD1), and the requirement for all major development to meet the top level 5 of the emerging ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’, including carbon neutrality, plus taking action to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings and ensuring that all refurbished buildings achieve the best current standards of energy efficiency (Development Policy G), are a significant positive statement of intent towards meeting this target. As a result of the above commitment, Policy RE5 (Renewable Energy and New Development), which expects larger scale developments to provide as a minimum, sufficient on-site renewable energy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from energy use by 10% could be made more challenging, especially given likely improvements to renewable energy technology over the period of the RSS, so long as this does not reduce the emphasis on energy
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efficiency as the highest priority. Development Policy G aims to minimise energy consumption, and Policy RE1 aims to increase the renewable energy capacity of the region so that 20% of the region’s electricity’s demand is met from renewable sources by 2020. Despite these policies, the amount of greenhouse emissions from the region could well increase rather than decrease over the period of the RSS. This is because of the scale of development proposed, the likely increases in traffic as a result of the road improvements (despite measures in the draft RSS that aim to encourage a switch to more sustainable modes and shorter journeys), airport development, and a general increase in energy consumption with rising prosperity. The increase on a per capita basis will be less than the increase in total emissions but it will nonetheless be an increase.
Keep water within local carrying capacity limits (taking account of climate change)?
? Policy RE6 (Water Resources) makes it clear that local authorities through their LDDs must ensure that rates of planned development do not exceed the capacity of existing water supply…systems and do not proceed ahead of essential planned improvements to these systems. The supporting text includes specific reference to pressures on the region’s water supply due to a growing population and drier summers predicted as a result of climate change. Linking to Section 3, the supporting text also states that local authorities should promote public awareness of the need to reduce water consumption and consider water resources as an element of sustainable construction, so requiring the introduction of water conservation measures and sustainable drainage solutions in all development through supplementary planning guidance. The ability to accommodate the development proposed by the draft RSS within local carrying capacity limits for water has been subject to considerable study by the Environment Agency. The Agency concludes that the housing growth scenarios can, on the whole, be accommodated given investment in the supply-demand balance. However, there are a number of uncertainties with respect to this conclusion, including the combined effect of growth across regional boundaries, and the potential implications of the Habitats Regulations, which could lead to some reductions in abstractions. In addition, the supply-demand balance is highly predicated on the achievement of further active leakage control, auditing and retrofitting more efficient appliances in existing households, and in some cases 21% water savings, waste minimisation for industrial and commercial use, and bringing forward planned options to increase supply and developing new resources. Given that some of the water resource zones (notably South West Oxfordshire and Severn) could be in deficit by 2009/10 without these
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measures, the scale of the efficiencies required, the lead-times for the development of new resources, and the higher build rates proposed over the first ten years of the RSS (as illustrated in Table 4.1 of the draft RSS) it is the view of this SSA that enough uncertainty over deliverability exists not to give a positive score.
Minimise consumption and extraction of minerals?
+/- Policies RE10 and RE12 deal with mineral extraction and the use of recycled and secondary aggregates. The policies in the draft RSS are based on technical work undertaken for the SWRA on aggregate supply options. There could be more emphasis on the need to be as efficient as possible in the use of minerals. There is a target for recycled and secondary aggregates of 121 million tonnes per annum up to 2016, although this is just 35% of the total that will be derived from crushed rock and sand and gravel. It is not known how challenging this target is. Consumption of minerals could be reduced by dampening demand in the first instance, which is itself linked to the levels of development in the region (and elsewhere for exports), including infrastructure.
Reduce waste not put to any use?
+ The draft RSS contains a number of policies that seek to reduce waste production. Policy SD1 aims to reduce the region’s Ecological Footprint, by the wise use of resources and meeting national targets for waste production and recycling (among other things). Development Policy G aims to minimise waste production in construction, and in addition Policy RE12 encourages the use of recycled and secondary aggregates as alternatives to primary aggregate extraction. Policy W4 requires planning applications for significant development proposals to be accompanied by a report comprising an audit of waste materials on site and proposals for how waste will be managed over the lifetime of the development. Policies W1 and W2 provide positive guidance to enable the provision of sufficient waste management facilities to meet the nationally set targets for recycling and composting, recovery and disposal, including those derived from the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme. The draft RSS does not identify broad locations for regionally and sub-regionally significant waste management facilities, nor does it include sub-regional allocations for the apportionment of the target for recycled and secondary aggregates (some other regions are aiming to grapple with these issues in their RSSs). Achieving a significant reduction in waste is very dependent on changing people’s behaviour and consumption practices, making recycling as simple and easy as possible for households (including providing storage facilities in new dwellings) and producers taking more responsibility in terms of waste packaging, all of which the draft RSS has little ability to influence.
Minimise land, --/? The Environment Agency has raised concerns relating to
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water, air, light, noise, and genetic pollution?
the ability of waste water treatment systems to cope with additional demand at Swindon, Falmouth/Truro, Salisbury and Cheltenham. Here and at other locations, advice is needed from water companies to confirm whether required standards can be met in practical terms. Policy RE6 requires that rates of planned development do not exceed the capacity of existing…wastewater treatment systems and do not proceed ahead of essential planned improvements to these systems, but this could conflict with the proposed development phasing for housing (presented in Table 4.1 of the draft RSS). It is not possible to assess pollution to land and genetics as a result of the draft RSS, as this will be dependent upon local circumstances. Policy RE9 requires that new development should not exacerbate air quality problems in Air Quality Management Areas. The emphasis on addressing congestion in the SSCTs should help to improve air quality in these locations, although increased traffic elsewhere could offset these gains along main road corridors. Development Policy G requires that the environmental impact of new and refurbished buildings should be minimised, including reducing air, land, water, noise and light pollution throughout the building’s lifetime. Elsewhere, light and noise pollution are not addressed. Given that remoteness and tranquillity are defining characteristics of parts of the region, this could be given more prominence. Despite this and policies that aim to safeguard distinctiveness and landscape character, it is likely that the scale of development, increased traffic (at least outside the SSCTs), increased rail traffic, increased air traffic and associated development, will add to noise and light pollution in the region. As a result, and because of potential conflicts between development phasing and capacity of sewage treatment works, it is not possible to conclude that the draft RSS will minimise pollution, despite policies that aim to achieve this.
17.11. It can be seen from the above summary assessment that there are a number of positive effects that are likely to arise as a result of implementation of the draft RSS, and these have increased compared to Version 2.3. The positive effects include:
• Improvements to the health of the population of the region.
• Making suitable housing available and affordable (although deliverability could be an issue, and the numbers of affordable housing to be provided in the region could now be reduced due to the lower overall housing provision in the final draft RSS).
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• Giving everyone access to learning, training, skills and knowledge, particularly in the SSCTs.
• Reduced crime and fear of crime (assuming that measures to ‘design-out crime’ more than offset issues surrounding social cohesion as a result of the scale of development and in-migration).
• Increased access to cultural activities.
• Giving everyone in the region access to satisfying work opportunities (although these benefits are most likely to be delivered in the SSCTs, and it is not clear how much the more deprived communities will benefit as opposed to new arrivals to the South West).
• A reduced need to travel by car, particularly in the SSCTs.
• Improved access to basic services, particularly in the SSCTs.
• Public transport, cycling and walking made more attractive, particularly in the SSCTs.
• Protection and enhancement of townscapes within urban areas.
• Valuing and protecting the diversity and distinctiveness of the region including rural ways of life (which is stronger in the final draft RSS, although there are still some concerns that the urban focus of the draft RSS could undermine this objective, with the rural areas generally receiving less attention and clarity of guidance).
• Maintenance and enhancement of cultural and historical assets (although some losses may still be inevitable).
• A significant reduction in the region’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions from built development, and renewable energy targets (although this is likely to be offset by other elements of the draft RSS as described below).
• Reduced waste not put to any use.
17.12. Many of the most positive benefits will arise in the SSCTs, which is where some of the most significant sustainability ‘wins’ are likely to be achieved. The effects on more rural parts of the region are less clear.
17.13. A number of negative effects have also been identified, the most significant of which are as follows:
• Despite the reduced need to travel by car, particularly in the SSCTs, the actual amount of travel by car is likely to increase, especially outside of the SSCTs.
• An increase in air travel, which is the most unsustainable form of travel.
• Potential offsetting of the positive effects on the region’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions with respect to energy efficiency in built development
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due to the inclusion in the draft RSS of a number of road improvements and airport development.
• A potential increase in the vulnerability of the economy as a result of climate change.
• A change in landscape character, especially where development is likely to be most concentrated (although the draft RSS does aim for a high standard of design, delivering this may be difficult).
• A gradual increase in light and noise pollution, and possibly air pollution (outside the SSCTs), from development and traffic.
• The potential effects on health and regeneration of regional and large casinos.
17.14. There are also a considerable number of uncertain or mixed effects of the draft RSS across a range of sustainability criteria. In these instances it is difficult to judge whether:
• Stronger and more vibrant communities will result from the development proposals.
• Everyone will be able to afford a comfortable standard of living.
• Poverty and income equality will be reduced.
• Local needs will be met locally.
• The circulation of wealth in the region will be increased.
• The economic potential of the coast will be harnessed in a sustainable way.
• A (significant) switch from transporting freight by road to rail or water will occur.
• Habitats and species will be protected and enhanced, taking into account climate change.
• The conservation and wise use of land will be promoted.
• Vulnerability to flooding, sea level rise, taking into account climate change, will be reduced.
• Water consumption will be kept within local carrying capacity limits, taking into account climate change.
• The consumption and extraction of minerals will be minimised.
• Water pollution will be minimised.
17.15. This may appear to be a long list of uncertain and mixed effects. This is not surprising given that many of the effects will be local and will be dependent upon the specific characteristics of individual locations. In practice, the effects could go either way. If the policy safeguards in the draft RSS that aim to make development in the
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region sustainable are applied with rigour, then it is likely that many of these mixed or uncertain effects will become positive. Conversely, if the policy safeguards towards delivering sustainable development in the draft RSS are not applied with rigour, then many of the uncertain or mixed effects would be likely to be negative.
17.16. In implementing the draft RSS, the scale and pace of growth proposed is such that it will be difficult to hold firm to these policy safeguards when the pressure to develop is so high (for example, the phasing of housing development could conflict with the aim of the draft RSS not to exceed the capacity of water resource and sewage treatment systems to cope). To be sustainable in the long-term, the policy safeguards must be adhered to. The draft RSS sets out a pattern of development that goes well beyond 2026, and which will be a legacy for future generations. The Implementation Plan with the RSS should therefore stress the importance of adhering to the policies that aim to create a ‘step-change’ in delivering sustainable development, and preventing development that does not do so.
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18. IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING PROPOSALS
THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 18.1. Section 3.8 of the draft RSS describes the role of the Implementation Plan for
the RSS, which is to identify the priorities for delivery of policies and the role of key agencies. The draft Implementation Plan is still a work in progress and has therefore not been appraised as part of this SSA. However, recommendations have been included in this SSA Report regarding the establishment of a decision-making framework to help guide those using the RSS to take decisions that aspire to meet all policy objectives, but also to show them how to approach decision-making when potential conflicts and tensions are apparent, in order that the best interests of the South West as a whole are met.
MONITORING 18.2. The SEA Directive requires that the significant environmental effects of
implementing a plan or programme should be monitored in order to identify at an early stage any unforeseen adverse effects, and to be able to undertake appropriate remedial action. SSA monitoring will cover the significant sustainability effects as well as the environmental effects.
18.3. SSA monitoring should involve measuring indicators which enable a causal link to be established between implementation of the RSS and the likely significant effect being monitored. Potential indicators were proposed in the Scoping Report for each of the SA sub-objectives, taken from existing sources of indicators in order to ensure recording of data for the indicator is already established (at the District, Regional or National level). Some of these indicators are now out of date and it will be necessary to ensure that SA indicators are reviewed regularly.
18.4. In particular, it will be important to integrate monitoring of the sustainability effects of the RSS with the Annual Monitoring Reports already prepared in the region, monitoring associated with the Implementation Plan for the RSS, and national headline indicators in the UK Sustainable Development Strategy.
18.5. It is recommended that the following sustainability aspects of implementation of the RSS are monitored:
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Table 18.1: Suggested areas for monitoring Improve health • Proportion of journeys made by walking and cycling. Support communities that meet people’s needs • The amount, type and mix of housing built. • The percentage of affordable housing delivered, compared to identified needs
assessments. • Proportion of homes delivered in SSCTs compared to planned provision. • Dwellings meeting Lifetime Homes standards. • Crime and fear of crime. Develop the economy in ways that meet people’s needs • The delivery of jobs against planned provision. • Employment/unemployment/claimant rates across the region. • Deprivation levels across the region. • Skills levels across the region. Provide access to meet people’s needs with least damage to the environment • Traffic levels for the region as a whole. • Public transport accessibility. • Percentage split between different modes of travel by purpose of journey. • Proportion of freight journeys by mode. • Accessibility of jobs and services by type of settlement (without the need to
use a car). Maintain and improve environmental quality and assets • The proportion of development delivered on previously developed land. • Density of development by type of location. • Condition of internationally and nationally designated sites for nature
conservation. • Achievement of Biodiversity Action Plan targets. • Loss or damage to historic features. • Changes in landscape character. • Sea level rise. • People and property at risk of flooding. Minimise consumption of natural resources • Regional greenhouse gas emissions per capita by source. • The proportion of development that meets draft RSS quality standards (e.g.
Level 5 of proposed Code for Sustainable Homes). • Proportion of energy generated from renewable sources. • Supply of water within carrying capacities of water resource zones. • Per capita consumption of water. • Amount of waste generated per capita. • Proportion of waste re-used, recycled and recovered compared to going to
landfill. • Rates of use of secondary and recycled aggregates. • Proportion of construction and demolition waste not re-used. • Air quality. • Water quality of coastal waters and rivers.
18.6. Nationally and regionally a large amount of data are already collected. Aspects where further data would be useful in order to monitor the effects of the RSS include:
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• Measures of the circulation of wealth within the region.
• Quality of landscapes and townscapes.
• Measures of well-being.
• Measures of ‘environmental limits’.
18.7. It will be necessary to review and agree which effects need to be monitored following consultation on this SSA Report and the draft RSS, which may result in other indicators being considered significant. This list will also need to be regularly reviewed to ensure that it remains relevant, and fully reflects the way that the RSS is being implemented.
18.8. As stated in the SA guidance, information used in monitoring will be provided by outside bodies in many cases. This has already been evidenced by the additional baseline information provided by the statutory environmental consultees during consultation on the Scoping Report and the preparation of the RSS. It is therefore recommended that SWRA continue the dialogue with statutory environmental consultees and the SSASG, and work with them to establish the relevant indicators for the sustainability effects to be monitored and to obtain information that is appropriate, up to date and reliable.
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19. CONCLUSIONS AND KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION 19.1. This chapter of the SSA Report draws together the overall conclusions and sets out
the key recommendations arising from the SSA process. In order to put the recommendations of the SSA into context, an understanding of the scope and remit of the RSS is needed.
19.2. Planning Policy Statement 11 (PPS11) ‘Regional Spatial Strategies’ (ODPM, 2004), states that:
“The Government’s policy on spatial planning goes beyond traditional land use planning to bring together and integrate policies for the development and use of land with other policies and programmes which influence the nature of places and how they function…Although RSS policies have to be related to the development and use of land within the region…they should not be restricted to policies that can be implemented through the grant or refusal of planning permission.” (para 1.6).
19.3. This raises a question about how far the RSS can go beyond ‘traditional’ land use planning. In preparing this SSA Report, we have taken a broad view, which may be considered by some to go beyond the strict remit of what the RSS can do. We think this is necessary because the RSS is a particularly powerful tool in achieving sustainable development, especially with respect to influencing “the nature of places and how they function”. Since it provides spatial expression to economic, social and environmental objectives, it deals with a wide range of aspects that are relevant to sustainable development. It sets out the scale and types of development that are to be delivered in the region, where in broad terms this development will take place, and the conditions by which the development should be delivered.
19.4. In addition, at the regional level, it is the policy document that is subject to the closest scrutiny and examination. If the RSS is to achieve the step-change in sustainability performance that is required by Policies SD1 to SD4, then it will need to push at the boundaries of what it can include. The SWRA have also taken this view, and as a result a number of the policies in the final draft RSS have been strengthened or added to, which makes it much more likely that sustainable objectives will be achieved.
19.5. However, the RSS does not exist in isolation. The success of its policies are dependent upon it being ‘joined-up’ with other regional strategy and policy documents. But it is also needs to be joined up with national Government policy, not only planning policy, but also education, health, and fiscal policies. For example, the RSS can aim to promote the use of public transport, but the success in it being able to actually encourage people to make the switch from cars to buses and trains will be limited so long as the real cost of travelling by car is cheaper.
19.6. PPS11 also draws attention to Section 39 of the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act that requires an RSS to “contribute to the achievement of sustainable development”.
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Our recommendations should be seen in this light, in order to give the RSS the best chance of achieving this goal.
Sustainability strengths of the draft RSS 19.7. The draft RSS contains a number of strengths from a sustainability perspective:
• Strong overarching sustainable development principles in Policies SD1 to SD4, and in particular the emphasis on reducing the region’s ecological footprint including its contribution to climate change, and the acknowledgement of environmental limits.
• The emphasis on achieving sustainable communities, based on settlement role and function, and improving the quality of, and access to, jobs, homes, facilities, services, and green space.
• The focus on directing the majority of development to existing urban areas where more jobs are likely to be created, and where some of the biggest sustainability ‘wins’ are likely to be made.
• The emphasis on ‘quality of development’, which is crucial to achieving sustainability outcomes, in particular the attractiveness of urban areas as places in which to both live and work.
• The recognition that different parts of the region, different settlements, and the rural areas have different characteristics, constraints and opportunities.
• The strong sense of the spatial structure of the region, and interconnections and interdependencies between different places and beyond the region.
• The overall aim to improve the alignment of homes with jobs, which should help to reduce the need to travel.
• The strong attempt to deal with issues of housing need and affordability, although this may be weakened as a result of the reduction in overall housing numbers.
• The emphasis on well-being and reducing inequality, and the recognition that GVA is not the only measure of economic well-being.
• The recognition that the economy needs to be put on a more sustainable footing.
• The support given to the improvement of workforce skills.
• The acknowledgement that there needs to be significant improvements in public transport, coupled with demand management measures.
• The aim to improve environmental infrastructure within the region.
Sustainability weaknesses within the draft RSS 19.8. Despite the overall strengths in the draft RSS, a number of weaknesses remain:
• Overall levels of growth are likely to lead to increased impacts on the environment and character of the South West, plus increased consumption of natural resources, further increasing the region’s ecological footprint (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions are unlikely to be reduced in line with the Government
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target to achieve a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050, despite many strong policies in support of energy efficiency).
• The emphasis on economic growth (in GVA terms), competitiveness and productivity rather than types of economic activity may not always benefit those most in need.
• It is not clear how potential conflicts in many of the sub-regional sections between realising economic potential with the emphasis in the draft RSS on environmental limits will be reconciled (e.g. with respect to road and airport development).
• Despite improvements to the final draft RSS, the guidance and planned outcomes for more rural settlements, and the role that they should play in contributing to a more sustainable region within a more urban-focused strategy is not very clear, especially given current trends of loss of rural services and sustainable modes of transport, and that over half the region’s population currently live outside the SSCTs.
• Despite many good policies in the regional approach to transport, particularly relating to the SSCTs, it is unlikely that these will lead to a reduction in traffic, which would require greater national and regional intervention (e.g. motorway charging and increased fuel prices).
• The improvements to ‘connectivity’ and in particular the A303/A358 are likely to increase traffic, and may not bring the economic benefits wished for in the peninsula.
• The acceptance of major growth in airports which are likely to lead to increase greenhouse gas emissions, and impacts on local amenity (e.g. noise, traffic, etc.).
The sustainability challenge 19.9. This tension between growth and sustainability lies at the heart of the findings of the
SSA process. It is accepted by the SWRA that the region needs to plan for growth. Economic and population forecasts all suggest that the South West is likely to experience significant growth over the period of the RSS. There is a feeling amongst regional bodies that the region did not fully accept that past forecasts of growth would happen in reality, and that, when in fact high levels of growth did occur, the region was not as well prepared as it might have been.
19.10. The SWRA therefore aims to accept that growth will happen in line with forecasts, and that the RSS should be used as one of the main tools to ensure that this growth is delivered in as sustainable way as possible so that the region as a whole benefits.
19.11. The SSA has shown that in many respects this is likely to be achieved, and the draft RSS sets down challenging goals for the region with respect to environmental limits, reducing deprivation and inequalities, and development quality. Yet the region is to grow over a 20 year period by 15% in population, 20 to 22% in numbers of dwellings, and up to 18% in numbers of jobs. Whether this can be done whilst at the same time reducing the region’s greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the region’s ecological footprint, and maintaining and enhancing the character and diversity of the region is doubtful given current planning controls and other policies, particularly at the
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national level, that do not support and sometimes conflict with these aims. Success will often be dependent upon behavioural change. This will not be easy until individuals, developers, businesses and other organisations decide to make sustainable choices not just because they are sustainable, but because they are the obvious and most attractive choice to make.
19.12. This then prompts the question whether the draft RSS has done as much as it can to make the region more sustainable and provide the conditions that make the sustainable choice the natural choice. Our findings have shown that in many respects the draft RSS has really pushed at the boundaries of what it can do, but this could be undone by other aspects that run counter to a number of sustainable development objectives.
Key recommendations 19.13. Currently the South West offers a high quality of life for most people in the region.
Its natural and built environment is by and large very attractive, and its economy is strong particularly in the north and east of the region. But this masks some often hidden unsustainable trends. The region’s ecological footprint, including its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, is too high. The region continues to experience loss and fragmentation of habitats and species. Levels of deprivation and social exclusion that affect certain communities are proving very persistent.
19.14. Dealing with these unsustainable trends is not easy. Throughout the SSA Report, recommendations have been made that, in our view, should help to make the RSS more sustainable. Some of these will prove challenging, and may require a different way of thinking. Other recommendations will require support outside the strict remit of the RSS. Most importantly, they require joined-up action, so that all with an interest, influence and responsibility are pulling in the same direction. This is essential if the four Sustainable Development Principles (SD1 to SD4) are to be achieved.
19.15. Growth, however high, would be sustainable if it could be delivered so that it benefited those most in need, helped to reduce traffic and greenhouse gas emissions, and did not result in a loss of biodiversity or access to amenity land, etc. In essence, this is what Policies SD1 to SD4 aim to achieve. If policies SD1 to SD4 are applied with rigour then the growth in the South West will be sustainable. However, the SSA has shown that this is unlikely to happen.
Recommendations for the RSS
19.16. The most important recommendation, therefore, of the SSA is to introduce a mechanism for implementing the draft RSS that gives Policies SD1 to SD4 ‘teeth’, so that development proposals that are in accordance with these policies are welcomed by the region, whilst development proposals that conflict with them are not.
19.17. This requires a ‘decision-making’ framework, in which positive benefits are maximised and offsetting and substitutions of any negative impacts are fully and properly achieved (firstly by eliminating at source, and then through good design, etc.). In some instances, a better understanding of what environmental thresholds and limits
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mean (and how to measure and assess them) in practical terms is required. Co-ordination across administrative boundaries, and appropriate prioritisation to meet regional and sub-regional objectives, should also be important considerations. Most importantly, decisions made and the conditions attached to them need to be enforced. The key recommendation therefore focuses on implementation.
19.18. There are many aspects of the final draft RSS where improvements have been made from earlier versions. There are still some outstanding specific recommendations, the most significant of which are:
• Aim to reduce traffic rather than just reducing the rate of increase in traffic.
• Review the need for road improvements that run counter to the aim of reducing the need/desire to travel by car.
• Reverse the support given to airport and related development - even though it is national policy to accommodate increased demand in air travel, expanding airports and supporting airport related development will help to fuel this demand rather than dampen it down.
• Give clearer guidance on how those parts of the region that will be most affected by climate change should adapt (e.g. those coastal settlements that will be affected by sea level rise).
• Consider whether and how the draft RSS could give clearer guidance on how to deliver more sustainable patterns of development and activity outside of the SSCTs.
19.19. There are also concerns about whether the planned provision for growth in jobs and in dwellings are properly in alignment, since the jobs growth appears to be based on a higher economic growth assumption than the one used for dwellings.
Recommendations for Government
19.20. It is essential that central Government provides the right policy and regulatory framework across all departments to support what the draft RSS aims to achieve to make development in the region more sustainable. It is still far too easy and attractive for people to make unsustainable choices. ‘Sticks’ as well as ‘carrots’, for example with respect to car use, will be needed to achieve the desired sustainable outcomes. The SWRA requested that we include in the SSA Report recommendations where the Government could help the region to actually achieve what it aims to achieve in the draft RSS. Some of these recommendations go beyond land use planning, but are important if the RSS is to succeed. Central Government should:
• Set the highest practicable mandatory standards for all new development with respect to energy (aiming for carbon neutral) and water use.
• Allow regional bodies and local authorities to require higher development standards than are applied nationally (e.g. building regulations) where they determine the areas covered by their administrations would benefit as a result, or
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where higher standards are needed to meet their contribution to wider targets and objectives (e.g. CO2 emissions).
• Sanction the use of planning obligations to support carbon reduction (plus reductions in the use of other resources).
• Introduce a stepped tariff structure for energy and water use so that an affordable price is set for essential needs, but that additional discretionary consumption incurs much higher cost.
• Remove the need to pay tax on renewable energy use.
• Sanction the use of planning obligations to ensure that full and proper mitigation and compensation for the loss or damage of all other aspects of the environment is achieved, and to help secure biodiversity and amenity objectives.
• Restore traffic reduction targets, and require that all other public plans and programmes are consistent with these.
• Allocate transport funding to follow the hierarchy of (i) reduce the need to travel (ii) non-motorised modes, such as walking and cycling (iii) public transport (iv) road improvements, with the aim of no net increases in road capacity so that any specific needs for expansion are offset by reductions elsewhere.
• Introduce road user charging and ensure that the real cost of using non-car modes is cheaper than use of the car.
• Allow for regional bodies and local authorities to introduce area-wide car parking and charging strategies that encourage people to use the most sustainable locations (e.g. town centres over out-of-centre retail).
• Withdraw the airport development proposals included in the Aviation White Paper since all other gains in CO2 emissions will be cancelled out by growth in air traffic alone.
• Ensure that every provider of public services meets high quality standards so that users wishing to exercise choice would naturally choose the most local service, rather than travelling further afield.
• Introduce much more stringent requirements and penalties to avoid the generation of excess waste and packaging.
19.21. Once all the various influences on decision-making are aligned and going in the same direction, then there is a real opportunity for the remaining sustainability weaknesses identified by the SSA in the draft RSS to be addressed and resolved.
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The Draft Regional Spatial Strategyfor the South West 2006 - 2026
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